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Valuation Office Agency
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent officers the Valuation Office Agency employed in 2005-06. [83007]
Dawn Primarolo: At March 2006, the Valuation Office Agency employed 4,850 full-time equivalent staff.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many press releases the Valuation Office Agency issued in 2005-06. [83008]
Dawn Primarolo: In 2005-06 the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) issued five press releases.
The following press release was distributed to media with national coverage:
7 June 2005—“VOA Appoints New Non-Executive Director”.
The Agency issued the following press releases locally:
2 February 2005—“Businesses in South West Warned to Protect Themselves Against Fraudulent Agents”
24 May 2005—“Business in Blackpool Warned to Wise Up on Appeals”
27 September 2005—“The VOA and Kerrier District Council Celebrate 25-year Working Partnership”
22 December 2005-“Support and Advice for Householders and Businesses Following Buncefield Explosion”.
Additionally, where it is brought to the VOA's attention that there is a need to warn council taxpayers locally of 'bogus inspectors', they will issue a standard press release—“Alert for Bogus Council Tax Inspectors”.
Home Department
Drug Smuggling
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British citizens have been convicted of drug smuggling in (a) England and Wales and (b) abroad, broken down by country, in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [82917]
Mr. McNulty: Information on British citizens convicted abroad is not available centrally.
Available data relates to persons found guilty at court or cautioned in England and Wales between 2000 and 2004 for drug trafficking offences. Trafficking offences include: possession with intent to supply, unlawful supply, unlawful production and unlawful import or export. Citizenship details of these offenders are not collected centrally.
| Persons found guilty or cautioned for drug trafficking offences( 1) England and Wales, 2000 to 2004 | |
| Number of persons (rounded) | |
| (1)
Unlawful import and export, unlawful production of drugs (including
cannabis), unlawful supply and possession with intent to supply
unlawfully. | |
Air Guns
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many injuries due to air weapons have been recorded in (a) the constituency of Houghton and Washington, East, (b) the Northumbria police area and (c) England and Wales in each of the last five years. [82291]
Mr. McNulty: Data relating to Houghton and Washington, East are not collected centrally. Injuries for Northumbria and England and Wales police from 2000-01 up to and including 2004-05 are given in the following tables.
| Table a: Air weapon injuries, 2000-01 to 2001-02 | ||
| Northumbria | England and Wales | |
| Note:
The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in April 2002.
Because of this figures before and after that date are not directly
comparable. | ||
| Table b: Air weapon injuries, 2002-03 to 2004-05 | ||
| Northumbria | England and Wales | |
| Note:
The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in April 2002.
Because of this figures before and after that date are not directly
comparable. | ||
Anti-drugs Initiatives (Departmental Funding)
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding his Department is making available for activities to reduce the use of drugs among young people; and if he will make a statement. [82266]
Mr. Coaker: The Home Office has committed£55.3 million in 2006-07 alongside contributions from other Government Departments to support work on reducing young people's drug use. This includes the contribution to the Young People's Substance Misuse Partnership Grant made available to local areas in addition to mainstream funds to deliver a comprehensive range of substance misuse interventions for young people; FRANK the Government's drug awareness campaign and the Positive Futures social inclusion programme which engages with young people.
Asylum Seekers
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to end the practice of transporting asylum seekers arriving in Northern Ireland to Dungavel Dentention Centre in Lanarkshire. [82021]
Mr. Byrne: There are no plans to change the current arrangements whereby individuals in Northern Ireland who are detained under Immigration Act powers are transferred to a detention facility in Great Britain either on the day of detention or within 24 hours. In the majority of cases individuals are, initially, detained at Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre.
British Muslim Citizenship Toolkits
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British Muslim citizenship ‘toolkits’ have been dispatched by his Department. [71939]
Meg Munn [holding answer 18 May 2006]: I have been asked to reply.
The development of a British Muslim Citizenship toolkit was one of the recommendations of the Preventing Extremism Together report published in November 2005 by workgroups from the Muslim community.
The Governments view is that this toolkit should be developed by Muslim organisations with our support.
The Government are supporting individuals and organisations to implement the recommendations but responsibility for this one lies with the Muslim community. Good progress is being made on a number of the recommendations and Government are encouraging Muslim organisations to develop this toolkit.
Brothels
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) brothels and (b) massage parlours have been shut down by the policein each London borough in each of the last fiveyears. [83691]
Mr. Coaker: This information is not available centrally. For the future, we are looking to introduce monitoring arrangements as part of the prostitution strategy.
Child Rape
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) minimum, (b) maximum and (c) average sentence was imposed for child rape in (i) Luton, (ii) Bedfordshire and (iii) England and Wales in 2005-06. [80367]
Mr. Sutcliffe: According to information reported to the Home Office, 339 persons were sentenced for rape of a child under 16 in England and Wales in 2004, the latest year for which data are currently available. Where an offender was sentenced for more than one offence the statistics relate to where this offence attracted the longest sentence. The average custodial sentence length, excluding 21 life sentences, was 93.9 months.
Minimum and maximum sentences can be affected by errors in the data reported or may reflect very specific circumstances for a particular case. For this reason we have excluded the 5 per cent. of cases getting the longest sentences and the 5 per cent. of cases getting the shortest sentence to give a more robust estimate of the typical range of sentences given. This shows that 90 per cent. of cases received a sentence of between 36 months and life.
Figures reported to the Home Office for Luton and for Bedfordshire were too small for the corresponding figures to be meaningful.
Child Welfare
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are followed to safeguard the welfare of dependent children when single parents with custody are given a custodial sentence immediately following conviction for an offence. [69945]
Mr. Sutcliffe: In the rare event that this situation arises, the court duty probation staff should offer assistance. In cases where they are not available, and court staff are made aware of an urgent child care need, an appropriate member of staff will contact the relevant children’s services. Prison staff will also assist prisoners with any urgent issues on reception into custody, including child care. We recognise the need to strengthen such arrangements and the National Offender Management Service will achieve this as part of the framework for the children and families of offenders which it is developing.
Colnbrook Detention Centre
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detainees at Colnbrook detention centre were on hunger strike on 28 June. [83089]
Mr. Byrne: I am advised that IND records indicate that, at Colnbrook removal centre on 28 June 2006, nine detainees did not take their evening meal that day and that there were five detainees who had refused to take the meals provided for three days or more. All were taking fluids.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on conditions at Colnbrook Detention Centre. [83090]
Mr. Byrne: It is Government policy that all detainees must be treated with dignity and respect. The operation of all removal centres is governed by the Detention Centre Rules 2001 which are reinforced by Operating Standards. The Immigration Service and its contractors are committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all detainees. Detention is essential to effective immigration control and must be undertaken with humanity and dignity. Oversight of conditions in all removal centres is provided through Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB). An IMB is appointed to all removal centres and members report regularly to me on the state of the premises, the administration of the centre and the treatment of detainees. Centres are also inspected by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons and the comprehensive reports produced are used to produce auditable action plans to achieve improvements.
Similar action is also undertaken in response to investigation reports into any deaths that may occur in centres which are undertaken by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.
Convention on Human Trafficking
Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the UK will ratify the Convention on Human Trafficking; what work remains to be done prior to ratification; and if he will make a statement. [83744]
Mr. Coaker: The UK is currently considering whether to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Human Trafficking. In July last year a questionnaire was issued seeking information about the methods of support in place in other European Union (EU) countries. The responses to that questionnaire are now being analysed for evidence on how the automatic granting of reflection periods and residence permits to those presenting as victims of trafficking are operating in other European transit or destination countries where they have been introduced. A case-by-case approach, as operated in the United Kingdom, does not appear to be less effective at offering targeted support, than these new approaches. The Government are examining how the convention’s approach could best be harmonised with effective immigration controls. They are also considering responses to the recent consultation paper on a proposed UK action plan on trafficking in humans. We intend to publish this action plan in the autumn.
Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to answer the letter of 11 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Abdul Halim. [79415]
Mr. Byrne: I replied to my right hon. Friend on27 June 2006.
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department will reply to the letter of 29 March 2006 from the right hon. Member for Warley regarding Mohammed Uddin, Dorlton Drive, Smethwick. [80498]
Mr. Byrne: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to the right hon. Member for Warley on 28 June 2006.
Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister for Immigration will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, dated 30 March 2006 on behalf of Mrs. Fadumo Mohd Sharif-Said, Home Office reference S1175012, acknowledged on 5 May 2006, reference B8779/6. [80860]
Mr. Byrne: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) wrote to my right hon. Friend on 29 June 2006.
Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the immigration and nationality directorate will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood of 29 March on behalf of Halrick Thompson (Home Office reference T1077292, acknowledgement reference B8645/6). [81441]
Mr. Byrne: The immigration and nationality directorate wrote to the hon. Member for Ladywood on 30 June 2006.
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 2 May, about Government consultation on new laws to promote gay rights. [81449]
Mr. McNulty: The letter dated 28 April was received on 3 May and transferred to the Department for Trade and Industry on 4 May. The subject matter subsequently became the responsibility of the Department for Community and Local Government who have advised that a reply will be sent to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire shortly.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer the letter of 15 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Gordon Okome. [81896]
Mr. Byrne: I wrote to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 3 July 2006.
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to theletter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire (Sir Michael Spicer) of 26 April (Your Ref: M10324/6), on the Sexual Orientation Regulations. [81930]
Mr. Coaker: The Department for Communities and Local Government is leading on issues relating to the Sexual Orientation Regulations. My hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Meg Munn) replied to the correspondence on 29 June.
Credit Unions
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department will provide information and membership forms for credit unions to its employees. [79938]
Mr. Byrne: The Government welcome the contribution made by the various savings institutions in providing for greater choice and diversity in the financial services sector. The Government’s guiding principles are to ensure impartiality and to help create a level playing field for all providers of financial services in order that their specific attributes can be properly harnessed.
Crime Statistics
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females (i) were found guilty of and (ii) pleaded guilty to complicity in or assisting (A) a suicide and (B) infanticide in (1) Tamworth and (2) the West Midlands in the last period for which figures are available. [80134]
Mr. McNulty: Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform shows that there were no convictions for aiding and abetting suicide in the West Midlands in 2004. Offences of complicity in or assisting infanticide cannot be separated from the offence of infanticide itself in the data held. However the records show that there were no convictions for infanticide in the West Midlands in 2004. Had there been conviction data for West Midlands, we would be unable to provide a convictions figure for Tamworth constituency, as the data is not available at the level of detail required.
Figures for 2005 will be available in the autumn of 2006.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) resignations and (b) retirements of police officers from the Suffolk constabulary there have been in each year since 1997. [82111]
Mr. McNulty: The available information is provided in the following table:
| Full-time equivalent( 1) police officer resignations and retirements in Suffolk, 1997-2005 | ||
| As at 31 March each year | Voluntary resignations( 2) | Retirements( 3) |
| (1)
Prior to 2003, FTE figures excluded those on career breaks or
maternity/paternity leave. (2) Voluntary
resignations does not include those who are dismissed and required to
resign. (3) Retirements includes normal retirements
and medical
retirements. | ||
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