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16 Jun 2006 : Column 1428W—continued
John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many DNA profiles of individuals (a) under and (b) over 16 years old living in North Somerset are held by Avon and Somerset constabulary; and how many have not been convicted of a criminal offence in each case. [73985]
Joan Ryan: There are an estimated 67,556 individuals who have a DNA profile on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) taken by Avon and Somerset constabulary, of which 1,994 are currently under 16 years of age and 65,562 are 16 years or over (as at 30 May 2006). Information held on the NDNAD is available on a police force area basis only and although the DNA sample in these cases was taken by Avon and Somerset constabulary, the individuals to whom the sample relates will not necessarily be resident in Avon and Somerset.
Data on whether these individuals have been convicted or acquitted of a criminal offence are held on the police national computer (PNC) but not on the NDNAD.
PNC data are available for 60,521 individuals only, of which 1,490 are under 16 years of age and 59,031 are 16 years or over. Of the 1,490 persons who are under 16, 1,243 have not been convicted of an offence and of the 59,031 persons who are 16 years or over, 15,824 have not been convicted of an offence. (It should be noted that for the purposes of these data, cautions are included as non convictions.)
The difference of approximately 7,000 individuals between the NDNAD records and the PNC records is largely accounted for by the fact that, until recently, records for persons who were acquitted of an offence were removed from the PNC, but retained on the NDNAD. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of the ages of these 7,000 who were acquitted as the records are no longer available.
Prisoner Transport
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 May 2006, Official Report, column 1220W, on prisoners, (1) how many (a) pregnant and (b) mobility impaired prisoners have been transported in cellular vehicles in each of the last five years; [76434]
(2) how many complaints have been made in each of the last five years about the transportation of (a) pregnant and (b) mobility impaired prisoners; and what the nature was of each complaint; [76435]
(3) on how many occasions in each of the last five years (a) pregnant and (b) mobility impaired prisoners have not been assessed by prison operational managers and health care professionals prior to transportation; and if he will make a statement. [76436]
Mr. Sutcliffe: There is no requirement in the contracts for contractors to record separately the movement of pregnant and mobility impaired prisoners. Information on the transport of pregnant or mobility impaired prisoners in cellular vehicles is not recorded centrally.
There are a number of methods by which prisoners may make complaints. These are to prison staff at the establishment or to the senior operational manager as well as to Prison Service HQ. Complaints may also be made by prisoners under transport to the contractors. It has not proved possible to separate out complaints made by or about pregnant or mobility impaired prisoners from available records.
All prisoners should be assessed as being fit for travel by a health care professional before being transported. Guidance has been issued to all women’s prisons to remind them of correct assessment procedures and there is a strong presumption that pregnant prisoners should not travel in cellular vehicles. A similar presumption applies to the transport of mobility impaired prisoners.
Prisons
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to avoid moving prisoners between establishments as a result of overcrowding, with particular reference to those who are participating in education programmes; and if he will make a statement. [77246]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 13 June 2006]: Prisoners are usually transferred when their security category has been changed, to enable them to meet the requirements of their sentence plan, for compassionate reasons, as part of their preparation for release and for operational security reasons. High population levels can also lead to prisoners being transferred to establishments with a greater number of vacancies.
Existing guidance requires prison governors to consider family contact issues and the education and training needs of individual prisoners before moving them, and to move them to prisons which can most suitably meet their work and training requirements.
The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) are developing new learning and skills delivery arrangements. These include plans to ensure educational records are available electronically when prisoners transfer between establishments.
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to bring into use temporary pre-fabricated units to address prison overcrowding; and if he will make a statement. [77247]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 13 June 2006]: There are no plans to accommodate prisoners in temporary units such as the modular temporary units used in 2002.
Victims of Crime
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to prevent convicted criminals contacting (a) the victims of their crimes and (b) the relatives of their victims. [76782]
Mr. McNulty: Various arrangements are in place to reduce the risk of unwanted contact from offenders, including:
Victims or their relatives who receive unwanted contact from offenders in custody may contact the National Offender Management Service victims’ helpline. Helpline staff will forward concerns to the relevant prison governor to consider and take action as appropriate.
The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 places a statutory duty on the Probation Service to provide services to victims of crimes committed by specified offenders. Prior to such an offender being released from custody, victims receiving services under these arrangements will be asked if they wish to make representations about conditions that might be attached to an offender’s licence. Conditions which relate to victims, might for example, include non-contact with the victim or members of their families or a geographical exclusion zone into which the offender is not allowed to travel. Breaches of these conditions can result in the offender’s recall to custody.
Young Offenders
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many of the 10 to 17-year-olds who received a custodial sentence for breach of an antisocial behaviour order received a (a) concurrent and (b) consecutive custodial sentence for other matters in the period between December 2003 and September 2005; [77715]
(2) how many 10 to 17-year-olds received a custodial sentence for breach of an antisocial behaviour order in the period between December 2003 and September 2005; [77716]
(3) how many (a) antisocial behaviour orders and (b) individual support orders were issued to 10 to 17-year-olds in the period between December 2003 and September 2005; [77717]
(4) how many antisocial behaviour orders issued to 10 to 17-year-olds were breached in the period between December 2003 and September 2005. [77718]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 15 June 2006]: Antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) breach data are currently available for the period from 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2003 for ASBOs issued since 1 June 2000.
The number of ASBOs issued at all courts to persons aged 10 to 17, as reported to the Home Office by the Court Service, from 1 December 2003 to 30 September 2005 is 2,085.
Individual Support Orders (ISOs) were introduced under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 as from 1 May 2004 and are available at the magistrates court for ASBOs issued on application only to persons aged 10 to 17. Between 1 May 2004 to 30 September 2005, of the 789 ASBOs issued on application at the magistrates court to 10 to 17-year-olds, 31 persons also received an ISO.
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what alternatives to prison for convicted non-violent young offenders are available to the courts. [78652]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The range of non-custodial sentences available to the courts includes Referral Orders and Action Plan Orders for less serious and first time offenders through to the Community Rehabilitation Order and the Supervision Order, which are more robust and to which can be attached the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP).
Leader of the House
Legislation
Mr. Amess: To ask the Leader of the House which Private Members' Bills were drafted by his Department in each Session since 1997; and which subsequently received Royal Assent. [77840]
Mr. Amess: To ask the Leader of the House (1) which Government Bills sponsored by his Department remain to be introduced during the 2005-06 Session; [77841]
(2) which Government Bills sponsored by his Department he has bid for in the next Session of Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [77842]
Mr. Straw: The Queen's Speech of 17 May 2005 and subsequent announcements have set out the Government's legislative priorities for this Session. Any further announcement relating to the legislative programme for the current session would be made at the appropriate time.
As Chair of the Cabinet Committee on the Legislative Programme, I am responsible for discussing with colleagues the Government's legislative priorities for the next Session. The outcome of those discussions will be set out in the Queen's Speech later this year.
Culture, Media and Sport
Braille/Audio/Large Print Publications
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to increase the number of (a) Braille, (b) audio and (c) large print books, newspapers and magazines available in the UK. [73656]
Mr. Woodward: We have been facilitating discussions among publishers, authors, the Royal National Institute of the Blind, and the National Library for the Blind on a project to investigate the possibility of transforming published material into formats accessible to the visually impaired.
Currently, a feasibility study is under way and results will be reported back to a Steering Group, chaired by DTI officials, shortly.
Commonwealth Institute Building
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received from the Commonwealth Institute regarding the future of the Commonwealth Institute building. [77644]
Mr. Lammy: There have been a number of representations from the Commonwealth Institute on the future of the Commonwealth Institute building since November 2004. The most recent is a letter from the Chairman of the Trustees of the Commonwealth Institute dated 30 May.
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what organisations she has consulted regarding the future of the Commonwealth Institute building. [77656]
Mr. Lammy: The future of the Commonwealth Institute building has been the subject of discussions with a number of Government Departments and the Commonwealth Institute. On 6 June I met the chairman and chief executive of English Heritage and my officials have met representatives of the Twentieth Century Society. Additionally representations have been received from a number of other organisations.
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2006, Official Report, column 788W, on the Commonwealth Institute building, what representations she has received from English Heritage on the future of the Commonwealth Institute building. [77698]
Mr. Lammy: I met the chairman and chief executive of English Heritage on 6 June to discuss the Commonwealth Institute building. During that discussion English Heritage raised a number of concerns. The meeting was constructive and discussions are ongoing.
Departmental Advisers
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2006, Official Report, column 1408W, on departmental advisers, what the reason was for the increase in money spent on travel and subsistence for special advisers between (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06. [77195]
Mr. Lammy: The increase in travel and subsistence expenditure over the last year is because the Department gained an additional Special Adviser, making three in total, in connection with the Secretary of State's additional responsibilities for Women, humanitarian assistance and the Olympics.
Ministerial Travel
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on foreign travel by her Department in each of the last eight years. [76055]
Mr. Lammy: Departmental expenditure for overseas travel and subsistence by officials is shown in the table.
Regarding Ministers’ visits overseas, since 1999 the Government have published, on annual basis, the total cost of all ministerial overseas travel and a list of all visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500. This information is available in the Library. Information for the financial year 2004-05 was published on 21 July 2005, Official Report, 158WS. Information for the financial year 2005-06 is in the process of being collated and will be published shortly.
All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Ministerial Code and Civil Service Management Code.
| Overseas travel and subsistence costs by officials | |
| £ | |
| (1) Subject to finalisation of the annual resource accounts. | |
Olympic Games
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2006, Official Report, column 935W, on the 2012 Olympics, when she expects to announce the constituencies to be visited as part of the 2012 Olympics roadshow. [78116]
Mr. Caborn: As soon as details of the roadshow itinerary are finalised, a list of the locations to be visited will be made available on the Department’s website (www.culture.gov.uk). We expect this to be within the next week.
Taking Part Survey
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2006, Official Report, column 483-84W, on activity levels, when the new national Taking Part survey first expects to report; and what criteria it will use to make an assessment of participation levels. [78234]
Mr. Lammy: First results from the Taking Part survey were published on the Department’s website on 15 December 2005.
To date, three reports have been released on the survey results. These can be accessed at: http://www.culture.gov.uk/global/research/taking_part_survey/survey_ouputs. htm.
Two of the reports released so far have provided provisional baselines on the Department’s public service agreement target 3 (PSA3). The third report looked more generally at participation and attendance across activities within the Department’s remit.
For the two PSA3 reports participation levels are assessed against the definitions of the PSA3 target agreed with HM Treasury. These differ by type of activity and frequency for each sector. Full details are given in the technical note which is available at http://www.culture.gov.uk/about_dcms/publicservice agreements.htm.
In the third more general report the same criteria have been used except for arts and sports sectors. Full details of this difference are included in the report which was published on 24 March 2006 showing provisional results from the first six months of the 2005-06 survey.
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