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IMPACT

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment has been made of the additional (a) manpower and (b) resources required by police forces in England and Wales to implement and use the IMPACT Nominal Index; what the total cost is of implementing and using the IMPACT Nominal Index in each force; and if he will make a statement; [45280]

(2) what the total cost is of implementing and using the IMPACT Nominal Index in each child abuse investigation unit; and if he will make a statement. [45281]

Hazel Blears: The IMPACT Nominal Index (INI) was delivered to a child abuse investigation unit (CAIU) in each police force in England and Wales on 23 December in accordance with recommendation two of Sir Michael Bichard's report following the murder of the Soham schoolgirls. It is already proving its value to the police service in enabling officers to establish whether other forces hold relevant information on people of interest to them.

There is currently no available information on the overall cost to forces of using and implementing the system, though an evaluation of the way in which it is used and the resource consequences is in hand. However, preliminary modelling carried out by the IMPACT Programme last year indicated that using the system and responding to requests for information generated by users in other forces could theoretically require up to 600 staff costing around £11 million per annum across the 43 forces if the INI was deployed to, and used to its full extent by, all CAIUs. For this reason, the INI is being gradually deployed to forces over an extended period to allow for the evaluation of the consequential demands.

Most of the other costs associated with developing and deploying the INI have been borne centrally.

IRA Deaths (Gibraltar)

Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the SAS soldiers responsible for the deaths of three IRA terrorists in Gibraltar in 1998 could face charges as a result of (a) the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on 4 May 2001 and (b) the historic investigations by the Royal Military Police and Police Service of Northern Ireland. [32651]

 
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Mr. Ingram [holding answer 28 November 2005]: I have been asked to reply.

The ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on 4 May 2001 relating to deaths in Northern Ireland involving the security forces found that the United Kingdom failed in those cases to meet its obligations to secure the right to life in Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights. Objections similar to those raised in the ruling of 4 May 2001 were made to the investigation and inquest into the deaths of the three IRA terrorists in Gibraltar, but the inquest jury decided by a majority that the deaths were lawful. I understand that the Gibraltar case does not come within the remit of the historic inquiry team of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, which is to review unresolved deaths that took place in Northern Ireland only. Furthermore, the Royal Military Police is not investigating these deaths.

IT Systems

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the performance of the Libra IT system; and if he will make a statement. [42637]

Ms Harman: I have been asked to reply.

There are two distinct parts to the Libra IT system. Libra Office Automation has provided infrastructure and modern office automation services, including e-mail, word and internet access, to more than 12,000 users in magistrates courts since 2003. The system consistently exceeds performance levels for availability.

The Libra case management application has been subject to a rigorous process of system testing and user acceptance testing, which commenced in April 2005. The application is currently in live operation at Kingston magistrates court and in trial operation at a further three pilot sites to ensure that a robust solution is delivered prior to commitment to national rollout.

Khat

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will add khat to the list of substances controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. [43565]

Paul Goggins: No. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced in Parliament on 19 January that he had accepted the advice of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs that khat should not be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

Life Sentences

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time served in prison by offenders given a life sentence was between 1976 and 1995. [43131]

Fiona Mactaggart: Information on the length of time served for those released in 1994 to 2004 can be found in table 10.5 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin 17/05: Offender Management Caseload Statistics, England and Wales, 2004, published on 16 December 2005, and also available on the Home Office website.
 
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For the equivalent information for the years 1983 to 1993, see table 8.5 in Prison Statistics, England and Wales, 1993, Cm. 2893; for the years 1978 to 1988 see table 8.5 in Prison Statistics, England and Wales, 1988, Cm. 825. Copies of all these reports can be found in the Library.

Ministerial Visits

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) flights and (b) helicopter flights have been taken by Ministers within his Department for (i) UK and (ii) overseas visits in each year since 1996; on how many occasions (A) charter flights were used and (B) first and club class tickets were obtained; and who accompanied the Ministers on each trip. [27812]

Mr. Charles Clarke: All travel is undertaken fully in accordance with rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are in the Library.

In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The list indicates when non-scheduled flights were used, and shows how many officials accompanied Ministers in those circumstances. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Library. These report information reaching back to 1995–96. Information for 2005–06 will be published after the end of the financial year.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the occasions on which he and the Ministers in his Department have undertaken overseas visits in the course of their ministerial duties since 1 January 2005; and what the (a) purpose and (b) duration was of each visit. [44967]

Mr. Charles Clarke: In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. Copies of the lists are available in the Library. These report information reaching back to 1995–96. Information for 2005–06 will be published after the end of the financial year.

All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Library.

National Policing Agency

Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from police forces and police authorities requesting the establishment of a national policing agency dedicated to countering terrorism and domestic extremism. [40557]

Hazel Blears: No official representations have been made by either police forces or police authorities requesting the establishment of a national policing agency dedicated to countering terrorism and domestic extremism.

There are appropriate regional and national CT structures in place to combat the terrorist threat. The Association of Chief Police Officers' Committee on
 
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Terrorism and Allied Matters sets policy and strategic direction for counter terrorism policing at a national level. Police counter-terrorist efforts are co-ordinated regionally and nationally through the Regional Intelligence Cells, the work of the National Coordinator of Special Branch and the National Coordinator of Terrorist Investigations while ensuring that force special branches maintain the essential link to local policing and local communities. The Metropolitan Police Service also has national counter terrorism responsibilities including a number of specialist units which provide support to forces. As with other aspects of policing, these structures are kept under constant review.

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