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22 May 2006 : Column 1520W—continued

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to issue guidance to police forces in England and Wales on the powers available under section 52 of the Police Reform Act 2002 for the seizure of mini-motorbikes; and if he will make a statement. [72095]

Mr. Byrne: Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 empowers the police to seize vehicles, including mini-motorbikes, being driven inconsiderately or carelessly on road contrary to section three of the Road Traffic Act 1988, or off-road without authority, contrary to sections 34 of the Act if at the same time they are being driven in such a manner as to cause or be likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public.

The Home Office issued on 1 November 2005 additional guidance to the police on their power to seize vehicles being used in an anti-social manner. This included examples of best practice where the police were working with the local authority to make effective use of the powers available to the two agencies. The Home Office has organised a number of Action Days with anti-social behaviour practitioners to share best practice around the topic of anti-social use of vehicles and has provided guidance specifically on mini-motorbike misuse through the TOGETHER website: www.together.gov.uk

Where mini-motorbike nuisance has been identified as a problem locally we would expect the local crime and disorder strategy to address it making use of the guidance issued as appropriate.

Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the starting salary was of a police officer in the Cleveland police area in (a) 1997 and (b) 2005. [72594]

Mr. Byrne: The starting salary for a police constable in Cleveland on appointment and prior to the completion of initial training was (a) £15,438 from September 1997 and (b) £20,397 from September 2005.

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding was made available to the Shropshire Division of West Mercia police for the Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign. [72389]

Mr. Byrne: Shropshire Division of West Mercia police was allocated £3,000 by the Police Standards Unit for the third national Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign (AMEC 3), which ran from14 November 2005 until the end of that year. The division did not submit a bid for funding for the fourth Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign, which is taking place from 8 May to 8 June 2006.

Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is given to telephone call handlers in police call centres; and if he will make a statement. [71579]

Mr. Byrne: Forces currently provide extensive induction training to call handling staff lasting approximately four to six weeks. Training varies from force to force, but mainly consists of modules around basic call handling skills, questioning skills, caller expectation settings and also includes IT systems training, policy and procedures, minimal law training and in some forces self-care and stress management.

The National Call-handling Standard (NCHS), currently being introduced to forces, includes the provision of a detailed training package.

Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were employed in (a) armed response units and (b) specialist firearms officers teams in Bedfordshire police force in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [71577]


22 May 2006 : Column 1521W

Mr. Byrne: The number of authorised firearms officers in Bedfordshire police since 1996-97 are shown in the table. We do not hold information on whether these officers are in armed response units or specialist firearms officers' teams.

Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs), Bedfordshire
Number

1996-97

46

1997-98

42

1998-99

50

1999-2000

46

2000-01

45

2001-02

48

2002-03

53

2003-04

58

2004-05

56


Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what national guidelines are issued
22 May 2006 : Column 1522W
to (a) police firearms units and (b) specialist firearms officers teams on handling incidents; and if he will make a statement. [71582]

Mr. Byrne: National guidance on the handling of firearms incidents is contained within the association of chief police officers (ACPO) manual of guidance on police use of firearms available on the ACPO website (www.acpo.police.co.uk).

Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the use of firearms was authorised in operations in each police force in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [71594]

Mr. Byrne: The number of operations in which firearms were authorised in each police force in England and Wales is shown in the table.


22 May 2006 : Column 1523W

22 May 2006 : Column 1524W
Number of operations in which firearms were authorised
1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05

Total

12,379

11,842

10,928

10,915

11,109

13,991

14,827

16,657

15,981

Avon and Somerset

312

139

88

90

65

195

262

311

333

Bedfordshire

345

323

260

190

294

237

301

442

475

Cambridgeshire

54

96

43

75

71

114

57

104

241

Cheshire

288

216

299

386

545

419

451

397

358

Cleveland

1,026

103

35

76

28

37

170

453

530

City of London

308

307

147

125

3

40

131

364

404

Cumbria

72

68

52

24

30

71

77

72

152

Derbyshire

109

147

176

178

167

275

401

369

287

Devon and Cornwall

160

133

61

65

151

101

96

112

71

Dorset

36

54

69

79

174

184

193

231

223

Durham

131

103

114

114

40

89

83

156

144

Essex

331

505

590

497

435

323

312

275

296

Gloucestershire

41

51

52

52

48

165

185

127

176

Gtr Manchester

214

165

160

224

357

580

518

507

461

Hampshire

245

217

129

103

114

198

162

208

237

Hertfordshire

96

82

75

73

86

112

172

195

185

Humberside

291

472

317

193

158

297

187

183

206

Kent

236

423

92

85

83

115

137

207

163

Lancashire

333

338

616

267

242

232

238

318

241

Leicestershire

155

89

109

222

217

300

268

295

260

Lincolnshire

58

52

57

155

336

477

392

386

294

Merseyside

671

675

484

489

825

1,020

628

751

733

Metropolitan

2,439

2,578

2,742

2,862

1,862

2,447

3,199

3,563

2,964

Norfolk

166

128

185

239

226

175

200

178

195

Northamptonshire

64

77

51

57

58

43

138

148

158

Northumbria

1,360

823

683

465

708

1,440

1,275

1,140

977

North Yorkshire

65

102

69

612

72

92

100

147

185

Nottinghamshire

84

306

266

255

233

384

452

459

408

South Yorkshire

155

302

135

237

127

258

463

484

546

Staffordshire

257

240

209

174

203

232

281

255

216

Suffolk

180

193

174

165

176

163

270

251

153

Surrey

133

87

60

143

221

245

247

203

151

Sussex

235

330

123

185

353

248

204

280

187

Thames Valley

215

227

158

110

153

179

167

195

289

Warwickshire

97

152

291

194

233

130

149

164

124

West Mercia

106

132

130

110

36

117

91

197

162

West Midlands

270

227

305

362

485

822

902

1,377

1,264

West Yorkshire

617

630

662

813

822

757

604

575

853

Wiltshire

26

26

24

19

66

45

58

63

88

Dyfed Powys

17

27

38

37

18

28

29

28

51

Gwent

89

86

64

39

30

20

37

40

81

North Wales

233

310

386

371

195

302

259

197

223

South Wales

59

101

148

255

363

283

281

250

236



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