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25 Apr 2006 : Column 1025W—continued
Veterans Day
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many inquiries the Veterans Agency has received about organising events for Veterans Day 2006. [65441]
Mr. Touhig: The Veterans Agency and the Veterans Policy Unit have received over 100 telephone enquiries about organising events for Veterans Day 2006. The Veterans Policy Unit has also received eight bids for funding regional events.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Assets Recovery Agency
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list completed cases handled by the Assets Recovery Agency, broken down by year and region; and if he will make a statement on the agency's performance to date. [64418]
Paul Goggins: The number of cases completed by the Assets Recovery Agency broken down by year and region is shown in the table.
The Assets Recovery Agency is making an effective contribution towards the recovery of criminal proceeds. Since its inception in 2003, the agency has adopted 177 civil recovery cases and 30 tax cases for investigation; and disrupted over 127 criminal enterprises with £68.45 million worth of assets subject to freezing orders. The agency has completed 35 cases with a recovery value of approximately £9.1 million and has realised receipts of around £8.34 million.
The agency has also assisted law enforcement agencies in obtaining 13 confiscation orders with a total value of £6.4 million.
The Centre of Excellence in the Assets Recovery Agency has delivered training in the Proceeds of Crime Act to over 2,600 financial investigators in law
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enforcement agencies. The agency has also successfully raised awareness of the new powers in the Act by hosting a series of conferences and presentations; and through the issue of a monthly newsletter which publicises successes in recovering the proceeds of crime.
| Total | England and Wales | Northern Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 | (17)0 | — | — |
| 2004–05 | 12 | 10 | 2 |
| 2005–06(18) | 23 | 20 | 3 |
Notes:
(16)Those cases that have reached final actions i.e. recovery order, final assessment or settlement.
(17)There were no completed cases in 2003–04 as this was the first full operational year of the agency.
(18)2005–06 performance figures are to end March 2006. Final year-end performance figures are yet to be finalised.
Correspondence
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Parliamentary Business Unit of the Immigration and Nationality Department will reply to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West's letter of 16 February 2006 with regard to his constituent Miss Tendai Rita Mupamhanga. [64412]
Mr. McNulty: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate responded to the letter from the hon. Member on 21 April 2006.
Crime Statistics
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the crime rates among migrant workers in England; and if he will make a statement. [45591]
Hazel Blears: From the information collected centrally on recorded crime it is not possible to make such an assessment. Specific details on victims and offenders are not collected.
Fixed Penalties
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the fixed penalty was for a contravention of section 89 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 in each year since the Act came into force. [64701]
Hazel Blears: In 1984 the fixed penalty for exceeding the speed limit in contravention of section 89 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 was £20 and three penalty points. This was raised to £24 in 1986, £32 in 1990 and £40 in 1992. From 1 November 2000 the penalty was raised to the current level of £60. The offence is endorsable and the number of penalty points has remained at three from 1984 to date.
Home Detention Curfew Scheme
David T.C. Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) average and (b) longest time has been between a prisoner being
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released on the Home Detention Curfew scheme and receiving their tagging device in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [64383]
Fiona Mactaggart: Almost all offenders released on Home Detention Curfew are tagged on the day of release.
Since 1 April 2005, the longest time taken to fit monitoring equipment to an offender released on Home Detention Curfew is eight days. This occurred in May 2005, just after the new electronic monitoring contracts started and the old ones expired.
Figures before April 2005 are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Human Trafficking
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps his Department is taking to protect the victims of human trafficking; [64051]
(2) what support is available to the victims of trafficking once discovered by the authorities. [64053]
Paul Goggins: Since March 2003 the Home Office has funded the Poppy Scheme which is run by Eaves Housing for Women. The scheme provides safe accommodation and tailored one-to-one support for adult female victims who have been trafficked to the UK and into prostitution. Support is provided on a short term basis, or for longer in return for co-operation with the relevant authorities.
On the basis of a positive evaluation the Home Office is investing £2.4 million over the next two years to expand the excellent service provided through the Poppy Scheme. This fulfils our commitment to continue funding the core service (25 crisis spaces), and will also provide 10 additional step-down places, the first ever 24-hour national outreach service, and the development of a resource pack for victims, service providers and law enforcement agency staff.
Assistance and support for child victims is secured through local statutory social services.
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the European Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings; and if he will make a statement. [64052]
Paul Goggins: Since negotiations began on the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings we have received a number of representations from organisations and individuals.
The need to provide effective support to victims is a key aspect of our strategy for tackling human trafficking. We continue to consider the practical implications of signing the convention.
National Criminal Intelligence Service
Dr. McCrea:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what disability recruitment guidelines were used in the recruitment process for National Criminal
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Intelligence Service posts at the new regional office in Belfast advertised in autumn 2003. [64731]
Hazel Blears [holding answer 24 April 2006]: I refer the hon Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Belfast, North (Nigel Dodds) on 9 January 2006, Official Report, column 377W.
Road Traffic Offences
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances a person charged with an offence under section 89 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 would not be prosecuted; and if he will make a statement. [64680]
Hazel Blears: Enforcement of the law relating to speeding offences is a matter for the police who will decide what approach is most effective in different circumstances. Prosecution may be appropriate where the offence is considered too serious for offer of a fixed penalty or may occur where a fixed penalty offer is not accepted. Decisions as to prosecution are ultimately a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions under section 89 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 were dropped because the alleged offender lived overseas in each year since 1996. [64681]
Hazel Blears: This information is not collected centrally. We recognise that while those living abroad can be prosecuted for this offence there are practical problems in enforcement. Measures in the Road Safety Bill currently before Parliament will help address the situation.
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