| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Probation
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he expects to publish in draft legislation to introduce market forces into the provision of probation services; and if he will make a statement. [85250]
Mr. Sutcliffe: We set out our plans for the probation service in “Working with probation to protect the public and reduce re-offending” which was published on 30 March. We will introduce the necessary legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows. The precise timing and form of that legislation has yet to be decided.
Prisons
Mr. Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the use of the “inner change” programme in prisons. [85254]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The programme was introduced as a pilot only at HMP Dartmoor.
Following a review under Prison Service Order 4350 (Effective Regimes Interventions) the programme is currently being withdrawn. The Review Panel identified a range of concerns, the most significant being:
Poor quality of the manuals which did not demonstrate a structured and coherent programme
Lack of consistency and clarity about the primary aims of the programme
Lack of understanding and appropriate sensitivity to the diversity agenda of HM Prison Service
Lack of protocols for the management of the mentor system, making it unsafe
Inability of the programme to satisfy the Chaplaincy in a number of areas.
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he uses of the improvement in (a) literacy, (b) numeracy and (c) health, including drug and alcohol addiction, of(i) adult, (ii) young offenders and (iii) juveniles in custody. [83350]
Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
At present, improvement in literacy and numeracy for adults in custody is measured by reference to their overall contribution towards the Government’s Skills for Life targets by counting the qualifications achieved. For young offenders and juveniles in custody, the Youth Justice Board measures improvement by those serving custodial sentences of more than six months through an assessment at the start and end of the sentence that shows what they have achieved, and whether or not they have gained a qualification.
As new Learning and Skills Council-led delivery arrangements for offender learning are introduced across England from 31 July, data on individual achievement by offenders will start to become available for adults, young offenders and juveniles in custody, and on those serving sentences in the community.
A system of star ratings exists for prison health services. This is based on a framework of measures, including prison self-assessments, external inspection reports and prisons’ performance against key areas such as mental health and dental waiting times.
Since April 2006, HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) and the Healthcare Commission haveworked in partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding. HMIP continues to inspect and report on the health outcomes for prisoners in all public sector establishments. The Healthcare Commission now assesses the effectiveness of primary care trusts’ commissioning arrangements.
Public Pensions (Transferability)
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures the Department has put in place to assist pension transferability of public pensions for (a) police and (b) probation service personnel. [79766]
Mr. McNulty: All public service schemes pay cash equivalent transfer values to other pension schemes in respect of accrued rights in compliance with pensions law. Under the Fair Deal for Staff Pensions there isa requirement to transfer pension rights when employments are transferred to the private sector under Public Private Partnerships or Public Finance Initiatives and subsequent transfers for former public servants. Public service scheme members can also transfer accrued pension rights by way of the Public Sector Transfer Club. The club is a network of public and private sector occupational pension schemes which makes it easier for employees who move between employers covered by separate participating schemes to transfer their accrued pension rights.
Scottish Criminal Records Office
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department what advice he has issuedon fingerprint identification following the misidentification in the case of Shirley McKie and David Asbury. [74299]
Joan Ryan: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department has not issued any advice in response to this case. However, The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) National Fingerprint Board has issued a document dated 4 April 2006 entitled ‘Erroneous and disputed identifications: Learning from experience elsewhere’. This document is for guidance only and is not a policy document; it was circulated to all fingerprint bureau in police forces in England and Wales.
The ACPO report referred to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Scotland’s inspection of the Scottish Criminal Records Office (SCRO) that commenced on April 2000. The key recommendations of the inspection report were that the SCRO should:
Move towards a non-numeric standard;
Reform management and scope demands for staff levels;
Consider moving to a centralised model for a national fingerprint service;
Have external provision and management of competency testing for experts to provide a sustainable and defensible programme;
Move towards a competency-based standard for expert qualification that all fingerprint experts within the SCRO should undergo;
Provide a common procedure to deal with failure in the course of competency testing; introduce an improved automated manual system of case tracking.
Produce national guidance on fingerprint standards and procedures and issue it to all fingerprint staff;
Establish a national policy which encapsulates an independent review process to deal with all erroneous and disputed fingerprints.
ACPO and the Home Office place a strong emphasis on ensuring forensic standards in fingerprinting. The Home Office will shortly be consulting about the creation of a forensic regulator (in accordance withthe evidence given by the then Minister of State, Andy Burnham, before the Science and Technology Committee on 23 November 2005). The creation of the National Policing Improvement Agency through the Police and Justice Bill will also be very significant in providing an Agency dedicated to continuous improvement of policing, including the area of forensic science.
Terrorist Attacks (Compensation)
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what compensation (a) the Government and (b) other Governments paid to the families of the British victims of the terrorist attacks on (i) 11 September 2001 in New York, (ii) 7 July 2005 in London and (iii) 12 October 2002 in Bali; [82098]
(2) what compensation payments the Government have made to the families of victims of the Bali bombings in 2002. [82114]
Mr. McNulty: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) awarded a total of £66,708 in compensation to 26 claimants in respect of the New York incidents of 9/11. The payments were made to them for the mental trauma they suffered from seeing their loved ones killed in the USA on live television here. No compensation payments have been made in respect of the Bali bombings. Through the Foreign Commonwealth Office’s ‘Aftercare Plan for victims of terrorism overseas’ the Government provide immediate assistance to the victims and families of overseas terrorism.
We do not hold information about compensation paid to the victims of these incidents by other Governments.
As at 30 June 2006, CICA had made 370 awards totalling £2.324 million in respect of the 7/7 bombings.
These comprised a mix of final awards and interim awards, and were paid both to victims and to families bereaved by the bombings. This figure will include some payments for non British nationals because neither nationality nor residence are criteria for claiming compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
World Cup
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has madeof the effect of the World Cup on levels of (a) alcohol-related crime and (b) domestic violence. [83017]
Mr. Coaker: Police forces do not routinely provide the Home Office with information on specifically alcohol-related crime, and so it is difficult to gauge the effect of occasional events such as the World Cup on this. Police recorded crime statistics covering the period of the World Cup will be released in September.
The Home Office funded an Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign (AMEC) during the month preceding the World Cup. Part of the intention for this was to set the tone of acceptable behaviour during the competition itself. Results from this campaign will be released shortly.
Research has suggested a link between major sporting events and domestic violence. Because of this, a Domestic Violence Enforcement Campaign took place in some areas during the World Cup. Data from this campaign are still being collected and analysed, and the results will be released when they are ready.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police officers, (b) intelligence officers and (c) other government officials visited Germany for the 2006 World Cup; and at what cost to the public purse. [82921]
Mr.
McNulty: A police delegation of 78, undertaking a range of
policing functions, were deployed in Germany for the duration of the
England team’s participation in the tournament. In accordance
with the European Union handbook on policing co-operation in respect of
international matches the costs were met by the host authorities. A
Home Office press officer was attached to the police delegation.
Some minor costs and reimbursements will be met by the Home Office.
These are yet to be claimed or calculated. The Home Office does not
hold details of any other Government officials who attended the World
Cup.
Solicitor-General
Correspondence
Mr. Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General whatthe average cost to his Department was of replying to a letter written (a) by an hon. Member and (b) by a member of the public in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much of that sum is accounted for by (i) officials’ time, (ii) cost of stationery and (iii) postage costs. [80467]
The Solicitor-General: The information requested is not collated centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost (code of practice on Access to Government Information, part 2, clause 9). The cost of a stamp is a post office cost. The cost of stationery is difficult to estimate but around £1 when all the overheads in terms of posting, computer costs and paper are taken into consideration. Staff time varies considerably based on the length of the letter. It is impossible therefore to estimate an average cost for all the letters sent out.
Departmental Finance Directors
Chris Huhne: To ask the Solicitor-General what the (a) name, (b) professional and academic qualifications and (c) relevant experience are of the finance director of each of the Law Officers’ Departments. [80079]
The Solicitor-General: I am answering this question for the Crown Prosecution Service, the Treasury Solicitor’s Department, the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office and the Serious Fraud Office.
The finance director of the Crown Prosecution Service is Mr. John Graham. He has a BA and MA in economics. He has extensive experience as a finance director and has fulfilled this role since 1999.
The finance director of the Treasury Solicitor’s Department is Tony Hindley. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). He was appointed on 1 May 2003. He was previously head of corporate planning for Defence Scientific and Technology Laboratory. Other positions previously held include financial controller and company secretary at Defence Evaluation and Research Agency where he was also a member of the board of management; finance director at British Nuclear Fuels plc. (UK Group) and financial controller and member of the sector board at BNFL.
The head of
resources and planning of the Serious Fraud Office is Bob Evans. This
role incorporates the responsibility of a finance director. He is an MA
(Gonville and Caius college, Cambridge) and Chartered Fellow of the
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. He is currently
studying for membership of CIMA and ACMA. He was
appointed in November 2005. Previously he was a member of HM Treasury
for 15 years. He has also served as a financial supervisor with the
Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority, as economic
adviser for the Ministry of Defence and has managed several large
financial programmes and Government
projects.
The head of finance for the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office (RCPO) is Justin Freebairn. He holds an MA in Logic and Moral Philosophy (St. Andrews) and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. He was appointed in March 2006 following a number of senior finance positions both within and outside central Government.
Departmental Publications
Mr. Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General if he will list the draft Bills produced by the Law Officers’ Departments since October 2005; how many were examined or are planned to be examined by (a) a departmental Select Committee or a combination of Select Committees and (b) a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [81644]
The Solicitor-General: None.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General what his practice is regarding meeting, discussions with and taking into account the views and opinions of (a) private individuals and (b) representatives of organisations when drawing up and framing legislation to be introduced by the Law Officers’ Departments; and if he will make a statement. [81645]
The Solicitor-General: My Departments are not generally responsible for drawing up and framing legislation. Where they are we always seek a full range of views in doing so. Consultation is a key part of the policy making process: both formal and informal.
The Attorney-General and I, along with our officials, hold regular meetings with representatives of the principal stakeholder groups, and relevant experts, in the areas for which we are responsible.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General if he will list the unnumbered Command Papers produced by the Law Officers’ Departments in each session since 1976; how (a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public can (i) inspect and (ii) obtain copies; and if he will make a statement. [81646]
The Solicitor-General: Documents which are laid before Parliament as unnumbered Command Papers are generally restricted to explanatory notes to treaties, explanatory memoranda to statutory instruments and some Treasury minutes. All other documents are published in the numbered Command Papers series.
A complete list of unnumbered Command Papers can be produced only at disproportionate cost. Copies of all unnumbered Command Papers are made available via the Vote Office.
Constitutional Affairs
Command Papers
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list the unnumbered Command Papers produced by her Department in each session since 1976; by what means (a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public can (i) inspect and (ii) obtain copies; and if she will make a statement. [81265]
Vera Baird: Documents which are laid before Parliament as unnumbered Command Papers are generally restricted to Explanatory Notes to Treaties, Explanatory Memorandum to Statutory Instruments and some Treasury Minutes. All other documents are published in the numbered Command Papers series.
Details of unnumbered Command Papers published since 1976 can be produced only at disproportionate cost.
Coroners
Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what powers coroners have to investigate deaths abroad. [84513]
Ms Harman: A coroner has the duty to investigate a death abroad which is reported to him or her where the body is brought back to England and Wales and where there is a reasonable cause to suspect that the death was violent, or unnatural, or sudden and of unknown cause or where the death occurred in prison.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what powers coroners have to reduce waiting times by transferring cases from one area to another. [84514]
Ms Harman: Under section 14 of the Coroners Act 1988 coroners have limited powers to seek to transfer cases to another coroner on grounds of expediency.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to review the powers of coroners to enter and search premises. [84515]
Ms Harman: Proposals are outlined—in clauses 50 and 51—in the draft Coroners Bill which I published on 12 June 2006.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the normal retirement age is for coroners. [84577]
Ms Harman: There is no compulsory retirement age for all coroners. However, coroners who held office immediately before April 6, 1978, and did not opt out of the statutory provisions, can be required by the relevant council to vacate office if they have completed 15 years service and attained the age of 65 years. Coroners’ pensionable service under the applicable local government scheme will come to an end at the age of 70 years.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many inquests have been successfully appealed against in the last five years. [84578]
Ms Harman: There is no appeal against a coroner’s verdict at an inquest. However, each year a number of inquests are held, quashed or amended by order of the High Court, and the number of such occurrences over the last five years is shown in the table as follows.
| Number of inquests held by order of the High Court | Number of inquests quashed or amended by the High Court | |
Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to remove boundary restrictions on coroners’ jurisdictions. [84648]
Ms Harman: Removing boundary restrictions on coroners’ jurisdictions is a measure in the draft Coroners Bill which I published on 12 June 2006.
Court Facilities
Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many courts have separate facilities for victims and witnesses. [84567]
Ms Harman: There are 93 Crown courts 88 of which have dedicated witness facilities. Of the 355 operational magistrates courts 302 can provide dedicated facilities. The remaining courts, which are used on a more infrequent basis, make use of alternative facilities.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |