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15 May 2006 : Column 709W—continued
It is estimated that less than 1% of domestic properties in Northern Ireland are not connected to the mains water supply. Water Service does not, at present, have a database of all domestic properties connected to mains water. However, a
comprehensive customer database is currently being developed in preparation for the proposed introduction of domestic charging from April 2007 and this will identify any domestic properties not connected to the mains water supply.
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what procedures are in place for regular testing of the quality of tap water in domestic properties in Northern Ireland. [69470]
David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
Letter from Mrs. Katharine Bryan, dated 12 May 2006:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about what procedures are in place for regular testing of the quality of tap water in domestic properties in Northern Ireland (69470). I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Water Service.
The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations (NI) 2002 necessitate a thorough and extensive water sampling programme to be undertaken, to monitor water quality throughout the supply and distribution systems. The sampling locations and frequencies for the monitoring of drinking water quality are specified in the Regulations. The results and procedures are audited by the Drinking Water Inspectorate. The mandatory sampling programmes requires water samples to be collected regularly at water treatment works, at service reservoirs and water towers used to store treated water, and at customers’ taps in the water supply zone.
During 2005, the latest date for which data are available, a total of 57,758 parameters were tested and 99.73% were found to be satisfactory. The results of all unsatisfactory samples are reported to the Drinking Water Inspector along with details of the reasons for the failures and the actions considered necessary by Water Service to rectify the position.
Wales
Consultants
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the companies which were paid consultancy fees by his Department in 2005-06; how much each was paid; and what each of the companies was used to accomplish. [69689]
Ministerial Visits (Accommodation)
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total cost was of overnight accommodation for Ministers of State in his Department on foreign visits in each of the last three years. [68972]
Mr. Hain: As required by the Ministerial Code and Travel for Ministers, we have made the most efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements. The total cost of overnight accommodation overseas for the Secretary of State for Wales is:
| £ | |
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, this information includes accommodation costs. Copies are available in the Library.
Home Department
Neighbourhood Policing
12. Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the roll-out of the neighbourhood policing model. [70217]
Mr. Byrne: Thanks to an additional £91 million investment in neighbourhood policing provided by the Chancellor in his recent Budget, neighbourhood policing will be introduced to every community in England and Wales by April 2007. There will be increased numbers of police community support officers and police officers working with local people to address those issues that are causing most concern to communities.
17. Chris Mole: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the roll-out of the neighbourhood policing model. [70223]
Mr. Byrne: Thanks to an additional £91 million investment in neighbourhood policing provided by the Chancellor in his recent Budget, neighbourhood policing will be introduced to every community in England and Wales by April 2007. There will be increased numbers of police community support officers and police officers working with local people to address those issues that are causing most concern to communities.
21. Michael Jabez Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of neighbourhood policing schemes. [70227]
Mr. Byrne: Evaluation findings from the National Reassurance Policing Programme which were published in January this year showed that a neighbourhood policing approach could deliver statistically significant reductions in levels of crime and perceptions of antisocial behaviour. Such an approach also increased public confidence in policing and feelings of safety, and improved trust in the local area.
Antisocial Behaviour
13. Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in the south-west region. [70218]
Mr. Coaker: The latest available figures, as reported by the Court Service, for the period up to September 2005, show that 427 antisocial behaviour orders were issued in the south west region.
The Government are committed to tackling antisocial behaviour and its underlying causes, with a cohesive programme to promote positive behaviour and challenge bad. The Respect Action Plan, which was launched in Swindon in January, sets out commitments we will deliver to make that vision a reality.
Prisons
14. Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce prison overcrowding. [70220]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The National Offender Management Service keeps under review the capacity of prisons to accommodate those prisoners sent to them by the courts. It is ensuring that maximum use is made of all spare capacity within the prison estate and increasing useable operational capacity by building additional places as part of an ongoing funded building programme.
Home Detention Curfew Scheme
15. David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the management of the home detention curfew scheme. [70221]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The home detention curfew scheme is kept under continuous review.
HDC has been very successful in providing prisoners with a smoother and more effective re-integration back into the community while providing protection to the public.
Asylum Seekers
16. Mr. Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to tackle illegal working by asylum seekers. [70222]
Mr. McNulty: The Government are firmly committed to preventing illegal migrant working and the misuse of our asylum system by those seeking financial advantage rather than protection. We have significantly reduced the number of unfounded asylum claims since 2002, increased removals of refused applicants, and strengthened controls on illegal working. Our strategy also involves increasing enforcement, encouraging compliance by business, and developing joint working between relevant agencies.
Licensing
18. Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were for alcohol sales to people (a) already under the influence of alcohol and (b) under the age of 18 years in 2004 and 2005. [70224]
Mr. Coaker: In 2004, there were 13 prosecutions for selling alcohol to a drunken person, and 856 prosecutions for selling alcohol to people under 18 years of age. Data for 2005 will become available in the autumn.
Police Force Mergers
19. Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reverse the mergers of local police forces proposed by his predecessor. [70225]
Mr. Byrne: The Home Secretary has just completed his first week in post. He has been receiving briefing from senior officials on all key Home Office issues and this includes the police restructuring process. He will make any further announcements as soon as he has had time to give this important issue the careful consideration it deserves. Meanwhile, he will continue to work closely with the police service on all aspects of police reform.
Foreign Prisoners
20. Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new measures he has put in place to secure the prompt deportation of released foreign prisoners. [70226]
Mr. Sutcliffe: A new multi-agency centre has been created to collate intelligence on the released prisoners. The police and other agencies have been brought together in order to detain the released prisoners, tackling first those where the severity of the crime or the potential risk to the public is greatest. Additional staff have been appointed and trained and processes have been overhauled so that the necessary casework can be completed and those involved can be deported without further delay.
Alcohol-related Crime
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what research he has evaluated on the level of alcohol-related (a) crime and (b) antisocial behaviour in Kent since December 2005; and if he will make a statement; [68536]
(2) how many alcohol-related (a) crimes and (b) antisocial behaviour incidents there were in Kent in each of the last 10 financial years. [68537]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 8 May 2006]: The Home Office has not received any research on the level of alcohol-related crime and antisocial behaviour in Kent since December 2005. From the information collected on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify those offences which are alcohol-related. Such offences are not specifically defined by statute and details of the individual circumstances of offences do not feature in the data series.
Antisocial behaviour is not measured by incident data but through a measure of people's perceptions of antisocial behaviour in their local area using the data from the British Crime Survey (BCS). The size of the sample in the BCS means that we can not provide reliable data for geographical areas smaller than police force areas. Due to changes in the measure of antisocial
behaviour used police force area data that are comparable to the national figures are only available for 2004-05.
The following table sets out the national figures for the last four years and the comparable figure for Kent police.
Data on the percentage of people perceiving problems with drunk and rowdy behaviour is only produced and reported at the national level; in 2004-05 22 per cent. of people in England and Wales perceived there to be problems with drunk and rowdy behaviour in their local area. The equivalent figures are not available for police force areas.
| Percentage of people perceiving high levels of antisocial behaviour in the local area | |||
| National (percentage) | Kent police (percentage) | Statistically significantly different (at the 95 per cent. level) from the national average | |
| Note: The measure of antisocial behaviour used is based on a scale constructed from seven questions on problem due to noisy neighbours or loud parties, teenagers and young people hanging around, rubbish and litter, vandalism, people using or dealing drugs, people being drunk or rowdy and abandoned cars. |
Background Checks (EU)
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the EU-wide register of criminal offences involving children was created; and what impact it has had on facilitating checks on backgrounds of people employed in the school system who come from other EU countries. [68674]
Mr. Byrne: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Disclosure process does not make a distinction between UK nationals and EU or other nationals where it is considered appropriate to undertake a Disclosure application. For posts in schools, applicants from overseas are subject to the same vetting procedures as UK applicants.
However, where staff are recruited from countries outside the UK, the CRB's checks of the police national computer, local police force intelligence, the Protection of Children Act list and List 99 may not be sufficient, particularly where job applicants are newly arrived or have recently lived abroad. The CRB has an overseas information service to provide help with this. If it is considered that a Disclosure may not represent a complete picture of an individual's non-UK record the overseas information service provides guidance on how to obtain further information from a current list of 21 EU and non-EU countries.
The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) also currently advise employers to take additional steps in employment checks on overseas candidates and to seek information as to any criminal history from the authorities in their country of origin wherever possible.
In addition, with effect from 21 May 2006, when the European Council decision on the Exchange of
Criminal History Records between member states will come into effect, the UK will have the ability to request criminal conviction information held on nationals of other member states. It is the intention that the CRB will be able to subsequently incorporate into its Disclosure service the ability to request such information directly through the UK Central authority for the exchange of information set up in accordance with the Act.
Child Abuse (Internet)
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made by his Department with internet service providers in preventing access to graphic images of child abuse via the internet. [67167]
Mr. Coaker: UK internet service providers (ISPs) continue to lead the world in tackling this issue and the majority are committed to taking all steps available to them to prevent users accessing illegal images of child abuse. This is evidenced, for example, by their commitment to and funding of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the reduction in the proportion of illegal sites reported to the IWF that are hosted in the UK from 18 per cent. in 1997 to 0.4 per cent. in 2005.
Recently, it has become technically feasible for ISPs to block home users' access to websites irrespective of where in the world they are hosted. It is clear from the various meetings that Ministers have had with the ISPs, that the industry has the will to implement solutions to block these websites. Currently, all the 3G mobile network operators block their mobile customers from
accessing these sites and the biggest ISPs (who between them provide over 90 per cent. of domestic broadband connections) are either currently blocking or have plans to by the end of 2006.
We recognise the progress that has been made as a result of the industry's commitment and investment so far. However, 90 per cent. of connections is not enough and we are setting a target that by the end of 2007, all ISPs offering broadband internet connectivity to the UK general public put in place technical measures that prevent their customers accessing websites containing illegal images of child abuse identified by the IWF. For new ISPs or services, we would expect them to put in place measures within nine months of offering the service to the public. If it appears that we are not going to meet our target through co-operation, we will review the options for stopping UK residents accessing websites on the IWF list.
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