Previous Section Index Home Page

19 Jan 2006 : Column 1574W—continued

Departmental Objectives

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress towards his Department's strategic objective 2. [41055]

Fiona Mactaggart: Strategic objective 2 (more offenders are caught, punished and stop offending, and victims are better supported) is underpinned by our public sector agreement (PSA) targets:

The latest performance against these targets and the Standard was published in the Home Office autumn performance report 2005 Cm6707 on 19 December 2005 and is available on the Home Office website.
 
19 Jan 2006 : Column 1575W
 

More information is available in the Home Office departmental report Cm6528 which was published in June 2005 and is also available on the Home Office website. The next Home Office department report will be published shortly after the end of the 2005–06 financial year.

DNA Database

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to bring the number of British citizens whose DNA is kept on record down to the EU average. [43285]

Andy Burnham: There are no plans to bring the number down. The relatively large number of people on the British National DNA Database means there is a greater chance of matching DNA found at the scene of a crime to a suspect. The Database provides the public with a vital intelligence tool, providing around 3,000 intelligence matches per month. There has been a four-fold increase in the number of detections obtained through the use of DNA between 1999 and 2005.

Drug Addicts (Treatment)

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the scheme of giving drug addicts who commit non-violent offences treatment in the community rather than short prison terms; and whether there are plans to expand the scheme to include those who commit non-violent offences under the influence of alcohol. [39591]

Fiona Mactaggart: The Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) aims to make the most of opportunities provided by the criminal justice system to direct drug misusing offenders out of crime and into treatment and break the destructive cycle of drugs, offending and prison.

Key elements of the Programme are delivered in all areas of England while the intensive" elements of the Programme are currently operational in 97 areas with high levels of acquisitive crime. This includes testing individuals for Class A drugs who are charged with a trigger offence. Testing on Arrest is currently operational in three areas of England and will commence in all other DIP intensive areas in England on 31 March 2006. The results of the tests are also used to inform court decisions on bail and sentencing. It is a matter for the courts to determine the most appropriate sentence according to the offence committed.

From October 2000 until the introduction of the community order of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 in April 2005, drug treatment was delivered as a requirement of a community sentence through the Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO). The DTTO is gradually being replaced by the Drug Rehabilitation Requirement (DRR) of the community order for offenders aged 18 or over.

There are no plans to extend DIP to include those who commit offences under the influence of alcohol. An Alcohol Treatment Requirement (ATR) is available to courts as a non-custodial sentencing option for offences linked to alcohol use.
 
19 Jan 2006 : Column 1576W
 

Drugs Act

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the change in the numbers of people who will be (a) arrested, (b) brought to court and (c) imprisoned in the next three years as a result of the Drugs Act 2005. [41698]

Paul Goggins: The regulatory impact assessment drawn up in connection with the implementation of the Drugs Act 2005 focussed on the additional number of convictions and offenders imprisoned on an annual basis. The figures were 2,294 and 287 respectively. No estimate was put on numbers of arrests and prosecutions.

Drugs Rehabilitation Programme

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response the Government have made to requests for funding for the detoxification and rehabilitation programme operated by RADAR in conjunction with Coldturkey UK. [41421]

Caroline Flint [holding answer 16 January 2006]: Ihave been asked to reply.

We have no record of having received any formal bid to central Government for the funding of any drug services operated by The Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR).

However, the Department's currently funds RADAR through the section 64 general scheme as follows:
£
2003–0486,400
2004–0595,000
2005–0695,000

This core funding is for RADAR's central administrative costs, and covers their objectives to work towards change enabling disabled people to control their own lives, by promoting regulation, good practice and equality of opportunity, advocating the removal of physical and attitudinal barriers: informing disabled people, disability organisations and others on matters affecting disabled people, and supporting disability organisations.

Golden Jubilee Medal

Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend HM the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal awarded to prison officers or armed forces personnel who had five years of service by February 2002 to officers working in private prisons. [36288]

Fiona Mactaggart: Prison Custody Officers (PCO) currently working in contracted sector prisons who had completed five years of service in the public sector Prison Service by February 2002 and who fall within the set eligibility criteria are eligible for the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. There are no plans to extend the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal to any other staff employed within the contracted prison sector.
 
19 Jan 2006 : Column 1577W
 

Highways Act

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females were (i) prosecuted and (ii) convicted during 2004 of an offence under section 132(1) of the Highways Act 1980. [41012]

Fiona Mactaggart: Persons proceeded against and found guilty at the magistrates courts of offences under section 132(1) of the Highways Act 1980 cannot be separately identified on the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform as they form part of a miscellaneous group which cannot be analysed.

Home Detention Curfew Scheme

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences have been committed by those released on home detention curfew, broken down by offence. [30808]

Fiona Mactaggart: As at 31 October 2005 over 119,000 offenders had been released on to the home detention curfew scheme since it was introduced in January 1999. As of 31 October 2005, the Home Office had been notified of 4,095 offenders (or 3.4 per cent. of the total) who had been convicted, cautioned or were awaiting prosecution for 7,437 further offences committed or allegedly committed while they were subject to the scheme. The following table breaks down this figure by further offences.
Breakdown of all further offences

28 January 1999 to 31 October 2005Total
Total7,437
Violence against the person833
Sexual offences18
Burglary337
Robbery100
Theft and handling1,780
Fraud and forgery252
Drug offences589
Motoring offences1,733
Other1,794

Independent Monitoring Boards

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the size is of the independent monitoring board for each (a) prison and (b) Immigration Removal Centre establishment; what the membership is of each board; and if he will make a statement. [16380]

Fiona Mactaggart: The complement of each prison and immigration removal centre Independent Monitoring Board is shown the following table together with the number of members in each Board as on 3 October 2005.
 
19 Jan 2006 : Column 1578W
 

BoardComplement (maximum Board size(32))Number of members
(as on 3 October 2005)
Prisons
Acklington1915
Albany107
Altcourse2012
Ashfield1310
Ashwell125
Askham Grange1010
Aylesbury1411
Bedford12(32)13
Belmarsh2018
Birmingham20(32)21
Blakenhurst2014
Blantyre House10(32)12
Blundeston1210
Brinsford169
Bristol1513
Brixton2016
Brockhill1010
Bronzefield1716
Buckley Hall1410
Bullingdon2015
Bullwood Hall10(32)13
Camp Hill1210
Canterbury1010
Cardiff1711
Castington1311
Channings Wood1412
Chelmsford1917
Coldingley1010
Cookham Wood109
Dartmoor1612
Deerbolt1712
Doncaster207
Dorchester109
Dovegate2016
Downview1413
Drake Hall1211
Durham2015
East Sutton Park1011
Eastwood Park1310
Edmunds Hill147
Elmley2010
Erlestoke10l3
Everthorpe139
Exeter1712
Featherstone1511
Feltham2014
Ford1411
Forest Bank2015
Foston Hall1010
Frankland1817
Full Sutton1814
Garth1712
Gartree1515
Glen Parva2018
Gloucester1111
Grendon/Springhill1512
Guys Marsh1914
Haverigg12(32)13
Hewell Grange109
High Down1912
Highpoint2017
Hindley1814
Hollesley Bay108
Holloway2015
Holme House2014
Hull2017
Huntercombe1513
Kingston109
Kirkham11(32)13
Kirklevington109
Lancaster Castle1010
Lancaster Farms1713
Latchmere House10(32)12
Leeds2016
Leicester10(32)13
Lewes1714
Leyhill1012
Lincoln12(32)16
Lindholme2014
Littlehey13(32)14
Liverpool2015
Long Lartin1715
Low Newton158
Lowdham Grange1313
Maidstone12(32)13
Manchester2019
Moorland2014
Morton Hall1510
New Hall168
North Sea Camp10(32)11
Northallerton109
Norwich2020
Nottingham13(32)17
Onley1914
Parc2016
Parkhurst1312
Pentonville20(32)22
Peterborough2015
Portland1717
Preston1617
Ranby2016
Reading108
Risley2017
Rochester1311
Rye Hill1712
Send10(32)11
Shepton Mallet109
Shrewsbury10(32)14
Stafford1412
Standford Hill108
Stocken15(32)18
Stoke Heath2012
Styal1716
Sudbury1010
Swaleside196
Swansea1613
Swinfen Hall149
The Mount16(32)17
The Verne1214
Thorn Cross1212
Usk1511
Wakefield1912
Wandsworth2019
Warren Hill109
Wayland1514
Wealstun1816
Wellingborough11(32)12
Werrington108
Wetherby1414
Whatton1610
Whitemoor1615
Winchester2014
Wolds10(32)12
Woodhill2016
Wormwood Scrubs2418
Wymott1611
Immigration Removal Centres
Campsfield House1313
Colnbrook129
Dover127
Harmondsworth1510
Haslar108
Oakington128
Tinsley House128
Yarl's Wood129


(32)New board complements were issued, as a guide to Boards, in spring 2005. Minimum and maximum board sizes were set at 10 and 20 Board members respectively and recommended complements are being achieved though natural wastage.





 
19 Jan 2006 : Column 1580W
 

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications were submitted to join the Independent Monitoring Board for each prison and immigration removal centre establishment in each of the last five years; what proportion were successful; and if he will make a statement. [16382]

Fiona Mactaggart: The information is provided in the following tables.
Applications and appointments made to IMBs in prisons in the last five years

PeriodNumber of applicationsNumber of appointmentsPercentage of appointed
Year ending 3 October:
2000–0126111644.4
2001–021897941.8
2002–0338826067
2003–0433627581.8
2004–0523319182
Last five years1,40792165.5

Applications and appointments made to immigration removal centres in prisons in the last five years

PeriodNumber of applicationsNumber of appointmentsPercentage of appointed
Year ending 3 October:
2000–016350
2001–02(33)89112.5
2002–0377100
2003–042020100
2004–05141071.4
Last five years554989.1


(33)Included a transfer.



Next Section Index Home Page