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8 Jun 2006 : Column 811W—continued
Mr. Byrne: Following withdrawal of the control for passengers travelling to continental destinations from ferry ports and small/medium-sized airports by the Government in 1994, the UK has had a diminished ability to record exit movements, and so such calculations are problematic.
The e-Borders programme will soon use biometric data to record passenger movements at UK ports.
Individual Support Orders
Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment has been made of the reasons for the difference in the number of individual support orders and antisocial behaviour orders issued; [74520]
(2) what account he expects the courts to take of the mandatory nature of individual support orders when issuing antisocial behaviour orders; [74521]
(3) how much has been provided to fund individual support orders since they were introduced; [74522]
(4) how much funding for individual support orders has been allocated, broken down by local authority; and how much such funding has been spent, broken down by authority; [74875]
(5) whether there are any plans for further funding for individual support orders beyond that already allocated. [74876]
Mr. McNulty: Individual support orders (ISOs) can be attached to stand-alone antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) for 10 to 17 year-olds.
We are working with the Youth Justice Board and HM Court Service to increase the take-up of ISOs, and we are starting to see encouraging signs of wider use. This includes actively promoting their use to all interested parties at antisocial behaviour-related events and updating advice and guidance. We are implementing a Home Office/Youth Justice Board/HM Courts Service action plan and as part of this we have just completed a series of meetings with Youth Offending Teams to ascertain views on barriers to take- up and to see what needs to be done to encourage increased numbers. We are currently examining the information from these meetings but initial soundings are that ISOs are a popular measure with those people who have been consulted.
When considering making a stand-alone ISO on a young person the court must make one in every applicable case if it considers that it would help prevent further antisocial behaviour. The Judicial Studies Board is producing a new updated antisocial behaviour training programme for magistrates, which will feature ISOs, and incorporate them within practical training exercises to assist magistrates in fulfilling their statutory duty.
We provided £500,000 to YJB in June 2005 to fund ISOs. Funding for this financial year and from now on is available through the £45 million uplift given to the Youth Justice Board as part of their youth prevention budget.
The funding is allocated to Youth Offending Teams based on a formula and they have submitted plans to the Youth Justice Board on how they plan to spend
it—some have specific ISO schemes and others have looked to embed the work into Youth Inclusion Support Panels.
London Bombings
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much compensation has been (a) allocated for and (b) paid to those affected by the terrorist attacks in London on 7 July. [74516]
Mr. McNulty: Victims of the London bombings of 7 July 2005 are eligible for compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, which is administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). In a written ministerial statement of 17 November 2005, Official Report, column 78WS, my right hon. Friend the then Home Secretary (Mr. Clarke) said that he was allocating another £5 million to CICA to cover costs associated with the London bombings. We announced in May that an additional £2.5 million was being made available for the victims of the London bombings over and above their awards from the Compensation Scheme.
As at 26 May 2006, CICA had paid 319 awards totalling £2.12 million to victims of the London bombings. 189 of these awards were final awards: the others were interim awards.
The Government also contributed £1 million to the London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund, which has made payments totalling around £8 million to victims of the London bombings.
National Identity Register
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines the Government have in place to regulate (a) which bodies will have access to the National Identity Register and (b) how these bodies will be able to use this information; and if he will make a statement. [75405]
Joan Ryan: The Identity Cards Act 2006 does not provide for any direct access to information on the National Identity Register (NIR) for organisations, either with or without the consent of the individual. The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) intends to provide an identity verification service. This does not provide direct access to the NIR but rather it intends to verify an individual’s identity in a method appropriate to the situation, ranging from an electronic card authentication to the provision of information to an organisation based on a specific request.
The Identity Cards Act 2006 establishes a number of conditions and safeguards regarding the use of the identity verification service by organisations.
It is expected that most identity checks will be done with the consent of the individual. Section 12 covers the provision of information with the consent of the individual. It limits the information that may be provided to organisations as part of a verification check with consent and also allows for regulations to be made prescribing how the individual's authority and consent for the provision of information is to be given.
Private sector companies will only be permitted to use identity services with the consent of the individual and thus are regulated under this section.
Sections 13-16 cover the use of identity services in relation to the provision of public services. These sections ensure that the use of identity services by public service providers must be approved by Parliament by affirmative order and may also be subject to consultation with the users of that service before it can commence.
Powers to provide information from the NIR without consent are strictly limited and laid out in Sections 17-21. Information may be disclosed without consent to Security and Intelligence Agencies for the purposes of carrying out their functions. The Police and the Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs may also be provided with information held on the scheme but the type of information and the circumstances in which it may be provided are limited under Section 17(3) and 17(4). Furthermore, Section 18(4) limits the provision of information on when a person’s record on the Register has been checked to purposes connected with the prevention and detection of serious crime alone. Under Section 17(5) and 20(1), the provision of information without consent to any other Government Department or public authority could not occur unless it had been approved by Parliament by affirmative order.
The Act also provides for the accreditation of organisations before they can be provided with information from an individual's record from the NIR. The accreditation process will establish the business need for the information and whether their internal systems and procedures are satisfactory. The process will also establish the terms and conditions under which an organisation can use the identity services offered by IPS.
With regard to the use of this information by organisations, there are also a number of safeguards.
Firstly, user organisations will continue to be subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 in how they handle any information received from a verification check. Thus, the safeguards within that Act and the independent oversight of the Information Commissioner in relation to its provisions will apply.
Secondly, the National Identity Scheme Commissioner (NISC) or, where appropriate, the Intelligence Services Commissioner will provide independent oversight as to how the National Identity Scheme operates and the uses to which ID cards are put. The NISC will publish a report every year, which will be laid before Parliament.
Thirdly, IPS will also reserve the right to audit any user organisation’s processes to ensure they remain compliant with the terms and conditions of the use of the identity verification services.
Finally, Section 21 of the Identity Cards Act provides for the establishment of restrictions on how the provision of information without consent may operate, which may include stipulations that only certain ranks or postholders in an organisation are permitted to receive any information provided after a request for information from the NIR.
Opiate Products
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department, subject to quality and quota restrictions, will permit manufacturers of opiate products for medicinal use in acute pain relief and long-term palliative care to import the restricted raw materials they need from approved sources in the European Economic Association or from countries where a high level of institutional co-operation exists; and if he will make a statement. [75346]
Mr. Coaker: Importation policy is governed by the United Nations single convention on narcotic drugs, 1961 which calls on Governments to restrict international trade to the minimum necessary to meet countries' medical needs. The policy also takes account of the United Kingdom's obligations to the European Union and to the European Economic Association. Imports from EU and EEA countries can therefore be considered.
There is no basis for importation from any other source irrespective of levels of institutional co-operation.
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many controlled drugs' raw materials are manufactured by a monopoly supplier for UK production; and if he will make a statement. [75469]
Mr. Coaker: Macfarlan Smith Ltd. is licensed to manufacture 33 opiate derivatives. Its effective monopoly position arises from the absence of any other applicant for a manufacturing licence.
Penal Policy
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has commissioned into the effect of levels of incarceration on the rate of criminal activity. [59309]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Currently no research is being carried out on the effect of levels of incarceration on the rate of criminal activity. Some work previously carried out in 2003 for the correctional services review (“Managing Offenders, Reducing Crime” by Patrick Carter) estimated that the increased use of prison in England and Wales since 1997 had reduced crime by around 5 per cent. However, international evidence shows no consistent relationship between levels of incarceration and crime.
Police
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce his decision on whether to restructure Hampshire Police; and if he will make a statement. [60540]
Mr. McNulty: A statement was made by the Home Secretary on 20 March indicating that Hampshire Police would stand alone as a strategic force.
The Home Secretary has made it clear that he believes that the establishment of strategic police forces through the merger of existing police areas is the basis for a reformed, fully effective police service in the
future and in particular is the necessary step to enhance the stability of local neighbourhood policing, and that he wishes to carefully review the restructuring programme before making announcements on the best way forward.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors were taken into account when the decision was made that Kent police should remain a single entity. [73568]
Mr. McNulty: The decision that Kent police could remain a single entity and internally reconfigure to improve its provision of protective services took into account professional advice from Her Majesty’s inspectorate of constabulary.
The decision further took into account: the business case submitted by Kent police which set out planned reforms to further develop its provision of protective services and neighbourhood policing; financial assessments of the case commissioned by the Home Office; and the need to establish a balanced and resilient regional and national policing landscape.
The Home Secretary has made it clear that he believes that the establishment of strategic police forces through the merger of existing police areas is the basis for a reformed, fully effective police service in the future and in particular is the necessary step to enhance the stability of local neighbourhood policing, and that he wishes to carefully review the restructuring programme before making announcements on the best way forward.
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Written Statement of 20 March 2006, Official Report, columns 6-7W, on Police Force Restructuring, (1) what reasons underlay his decision not to restructure Hampshire Police; and if he will make a statement; [61307]
(2) what reasons underlay his decision not to restructure Hampshire Police; and if he will make a statement. [62404]
Mr. McNulty: The Home Secretary’s decision to allow Hampshire Police to remain as a stand-alone force was informed by the professional advice of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary that the force has the capacity, capability and resilience to provide protective services to national standards.
The decision further took into account:
the business case submitted by Hampshire Police which set out planned reforms to further develop its provision of protective services and neighbourhood policing;
financial assessments of the case commissioned by the Home Office; and
the need to establish a balanced and resilient regional and national policing landscape.
The Home Secretary has made it clear that he believes that the establishment of strategic police forces through the merger of existing police areas is the basis for a reformed, fully effective police service in the future and in particular is the necessary step to enhance the stability of local neighbourhood policing, and that he wishes to carefully review the restructuring programme before making announcements on the best way forward.
Prisons
Mr. Amess:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the 10 most common offences were for which men were sent to prison in England and
Wales in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by age group. [75535]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The information requested is contained in the table.
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