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2 Mar 2006 : Column 952W—continued
Cohesion and Faiths Unit
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the new database for the Cohesion and Faiths Unit; [52237]
(2) how many people have responded to a request for information about (a) their religious belief and (b) whether they are a member of a particular sect or denomination for the new database for the Cohesion and Faiths Unit; and if he will make a statement. [52238]
Paul Goggins:
The Home Office Cohesion and Faiths Unit is compiling a directory of organisations that it has, or may need to have, contact with. It is intended that the
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directory will contain contact details. Where the purpose of an organisation is not immediately apparent from its name, it is intended to include, where possible, a brief description of the purpose of the organisation as it describes itself.
In developing the directory an e-mail was sent on 8 February 2006 requesting details to populate the directory. In error this e-mail was sent to organisations and individuals whom it was not intended for. Clearly personally held religious beliefs are a private matter. Upon realising the mistake an apology was sent on 9 February to all those to whom the request was sent asking them to disregard the request entirely.
As of 15 February 2006, 13 faith based organisations had responded.
Community Engagement (Policing)
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) community police officers and (b) community support officers are working in the Chorley constituency. [52621]
Hazel Blears: The information requested is not collected centrally. Information may be available from the local Chief Constable or Basic Command Unit Commander.
Community Legal Service Direct
Mr. Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual usage of Community Legal Service Direct has been in (a) England and Wales and (b) the London borough of Croydon since its inception. [41135]
Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply (as I have ministerial responsibility for the Legal Services Commission).
Community Legal Service Direct was launched in July 2004. Total calls to Community Legal Service Direct from England and Wales are shown in table A. The telephone system breaks down the callers by area code. Therefore it is not possible to provide comparable figures for total calls from the London borough of Croydon, as it is not possible to separate them from other 0208 numbers.
Table B shows the number of cases closed by specialist legal advisors for people living in England and Wales and the London borough of Croydon.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2004 (July to December) | 114,363 |
| 2005 (January to December) | 450,535 |
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DNA Profiles
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 20 December 2005, Official Report, column 2890W, on DNA profiles, how many of the 139,463 people were perceived to be (a) of ethnic minority origin and (b) white. [47860]
Andy Burnham: As indicated in the answer of 20 December 2005, Official Report, column 2890W, there were 139,463 people who have a DNA profile on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) who have not been charged or cautioned with an offence. This figure comprised 124,347 people who have been arrested and subsequently not been charged or cautioned with an offence and 15,116 people who had volunteered a sample and given consent to the profile being loaded on the NDNAD.
Of the 124,347 people who had been arrested, a record of their perceived ethnic origin was available on the NDNAD for 101,066 persons only. In addition, for a further 17,677 persons, the Police National Computer (PNC) held a record of their White or Non-White status. There was no record of perceived minority ethnic origin or White/Non-White status for the remaining 5,604 persons.
The available data indicates that 21 per cent. were perceived to be of minority ethnic origin, 74 per cent. were perceived to be white and 5 per cent. were unknown. Of the 15,000 persons who had volunteered a DMA sample, 80 per cent. do not have an ethnic appearance recorded, 3 per cent. are recorded as being of minority ethnic origin and 17 per cent. as white.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many DNA profiles of individuals (a) under 24 years and (b) over 24 years not convicted of a criminal offence normally resident in Cambridgeshire are held by Cambridgeshire constabulary. [53233]
Andy Burnham: It is estimated that there are 11,324 individuals who are currently under 24 years of age and 22,338 individuals who are 24 years or over who have a DNA profile on the National DNA Database taken by Cambridgeshire police. These individuals would have been arrested, detained in a police station and had a DNA sample taken in Cambridgeshire, but would not necessarily be resident in Cambridgeshire.
Data on whether these individuals have been convicted of a criminal offence is not held on the National DNA Database. It could only be obtained at disproportionate cost by cross-searching the 33,662 records for the individuals on the Police National Computer (PNC).
Enrolment Centres
Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2006, Official Report, column 940W, on enrolment centres, if he will list the criteria that will be used to select (a) the premises in which the interviews over a secure webcam will be conducted and (b) the local administrators who will facilitate the interviews. [51401]
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Andy Burnham: The answer of 6 February 2006, Official Report, column 940W, referred to the use of secure webcam links as one of the options being considered for areas more than an hour's travelling time from the network of permanent offices for passport interviews. If this option is chosen, detailed criteria to balance the requirements of cost, convenience and security will be developed.
Extraditions
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many extraditions the Government have (a) requested and (b) granted in each of the last seven years. [53783]
Andy Burnham: The information requested is as follows:
| Extraditions requested | Extraditions granted(24) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 56 | 38 |
| 2000 | 70 | 47 |
| 2001 | 82 | 55 |
| 2002 | 70 | 53 |
| 2003 | 87 | 55 |
| 2004(25) | 33 | 50 |
| 2005(25) | 31 | 62 |
(24) The term granted" has been taken to apply to cases in which extradition has actually taken place.
(25) The above figures exclude extraditions requested or granted under Part one or Part three of the Extradition Act 2003, which implemented the European Arrest Warrant system on one January 2004. They also exclude extraditions requested or granted to the Republic of Ireland, prior to one January 2004. In all of those cases extraditions have been requested or ordered by judicial authorities rather than by the Government.
Note:
The figures do not include requests made or granted by Ministers in Scotland and Northern Ireland, who have devolved powers to make or grant requests.
Gating Orders
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many gating orders have been made under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, broken down by local authority. [54431]
Hazel Blears: No gating orders have been made under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. This provision will be commenced this spring when the regulations have been laid before Parliament.
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