| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
4 Sep 2006 : Column 1936W—continued
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average prison sentence, not including life sentences, was in the last period for which figures are available. [88838]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The average custodial sentence length for all offences at all courts in England and Wales, excluding life sentences, was 12.9 months in 2004, the latest year for which data are currently available. This figure is published in “Sentencing Statistics 2004, England and Wales”, (Home Office Bulletin No. 15/05), Table 2.14 and is on the Home Office website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hosb1505.pdf Although care is taken in collating and analysing the returns used to compile such figures, the data are of necessity subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Consequently, although some figures may be shown to the last digit in order to provide a comprehensive record of the information collected, they are not necessarily accurate to the last digit shown. We have started a programme of work in the Home Office looking at the quality of existing court sentencing data and how this might be improved.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average non-life sentenced prisoners served in the last five years; for what reasons prisoners may not serve their full sentence; and if he will make a statement. [88914]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Information on the average length of time served by prisoners on non-life determinate sentences can be found in table 10.1 of the “Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2003 and 2004”, and tables 3.13, 3.14, and 4.11 of “Prison Statistics in England and Wales 2000 to 2002”. Copies of these publications are available in the House of Commons Library. The figures provided in these tables were drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, and so is not necessarily accurate to the last whole number. Under the Criminal Justice Act 1991, those sentenced to determinate sentences of four years or more are eligible for parole halfway through their sentence. If parole is not granted then release occurs at the two-thirds point of the sentence (or at a subsequent parole review if earlier). Prisoners sentenced to determinate terms of under four years under the 1991 Act are generally released automatically at the half way point of their sentence. The Criminal Justice Act 2003 introduced new arrangements for prison sentences. They apply only to offences committed on or after 4 April 2005. A new indeterminate public protection sentence was introduced. Those offenders judged to be dangerous, and who have committed serious sexual or violent offences, can be kept in prison until the Parole Board judges it is safe to release them. If they have committed less serious offences they may serve a determinate sentence followed by an extended period on licence after release of up to eight years for sexual offences and five years for violent offences. Other determinate sentence prisoners will be released automatically at the halfway point of their sentence. The Home Detention Curfew scheme (HDC) has been in operation since January 1999. Subject to meeting the eligibility criteria and passing a careful risk assessment, prisoners serving sentences of between three months and less than four years may be released up to four and a half months (135 days) early from prison subject to an electronically monitored curfew normally between 7 pm and 7 am. Information on the numbers of prisoners released under Home Detention Curfew (HDC) can be found in table 10.3 in the “Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2004”.
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether sentences for terms of up to (a) eight, (b) 12, (c) 15 and (d) 18 years have continued to be imposed since the introduction of unlimited sentences. [88845]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Since the introduction of indeterminate sentences for public protection courts may still impose determinate sentences of any length within the statutory maximum for that offence.
The indeterminate sentence for public protection was introduced by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 and
commenced on 4 April 2005. Statistics for the number of determinate sentences of eight, 12, 15 and 18 years imposed since then are not yet available.
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether it is his policy that judges will continue to be required to halve the minimum term when setting the earliest release date for prisoners serving specific sentences; [88846]
(2) for what reasons minimum terms are halved when setting earliest release dates. [88847]
Mr. Sutcliffe: When judges announce unlimited sentences they explain the minimum term that an offender might serve. To calculate this they start from how long the sentence would be if they were setting a determinate sentence and then halve it because only half of a determinate sentence is spent in custody.
Very few offenders who receive unlimited sentences will be released so early; it is simply the earliest point at which they can be considered for release by the Parole Board.
We announced last week, as part of the Criminal Justice Review, our intention to consult on how we can make sentencing clearer, and on ending the requirement that judges automatically halve the minimum term for those serving unlimited sentences, and on how they should set the first possible date for parole.
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the impact of the prospect of (i) 50 per cent. and (ii) other sentence reductions on behaviour of offenders in custody; and if he will publish the conclusions of such work. [88848]
Mr. Sutcliffe: No research has been carried out on the impact of (i) calculating minimum terms by halving the appropriate determinate sentence, or (ii) any other sentence reduction given by courts, on the behaviour of offenders in custody.
Serious Crime Prevention Orders
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated cost is of the new serious crime prevention orders. [88719]
Mr. Coaker: The regulatory impact assessment accompanying the consultation document on new powers against organised and financial crime estimates the average cost of obtaining one order in a contested hearing will be around £40,000 to the applicant, and, if the proposed subject of the order is on legal aid, at most another £40,000 in legal aid bills. Any appeal hearing against the granting of an order is likely to cost approximately the same again to both the applicant and the legal aid budget.
We have not estimated the total cost of the new orders, as this will depend on the number applied for.
Serious Organised Crime/Terrorism
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2006, Official Report, column 2020W, on Colombia, what the Freedom of Information Act 2000 grounds are for his refusal to provide details of (a) the duties carried out by UK police officers in Colombia, (b) the number of police officers based in Colombia and (c) with which Colombian agencies officers of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency work; [88233]
(2) for what reasons the operational deployment of police officers and Serious and Organised Crime Agency staff cannot be commented upon by Ministers in his Department; and when that became policy. [88344]
Mr. Coaker: It would not be appropriate to comment on the operational deployment of SOCA staff in Colombia due to the discreet and often covert nature of their role. This has been the agreed policy since SOCA came into being on 1 April 2006.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) arrested, (b) charged and await trial and (c) convicted following an investigation by the Serious Organised Crime Agency since its inception. [88449]
Mr. Coaker: Since it assumed its functions on 1 April 2006, SOCA has run a number of investigations, some of which it has inherited from precursor agencies and some of which it has initiated itself. It has also assisted others, at home and abroad, in their enforcement activities. In accordance with section 7(1) of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, SOCA will issue a report on the exercise of its functions during the year as soon as possible after the end of the financial year.
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans his Department has to improve the ability of police forces to co-ordinate activities to combat serious organised crime and terrorism. [87263]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 24 July 2006]: Schedule 10 to the Police and Justice Bill will enable the Secretary of State to confer a new function on police authorities “to secure that arrangements are made for (their) force to co-operate with other police forces whenever necessary or expedient”.
In addition, I will shortly be writing to police forces and police authorities setting out the next steps in the light of the decision not to proceed with enforced police force mergers. I will be inviting forces and authorities to consider how improvements in protective services might be achieved through greater collaboration and co-operation.
I have also dedicated an extra £33 million extra this year and £65 million the year after to expand the police specialist counter terrorism capacity outside London. This is in addition to an extra £30 million this year and £45 million next year for the Metropolitan police. This will help strengthen the police service's intelligence and
investigative capability and capacity and complements the additional funding awarded to the security and intelligence services.
Sex Offenders
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sex offenders are (a) required to register with the police and (b) registered with the police; and if he will make a statement. [80406]
John Reid: All sex offenders who meet the notification requirements of the Sex Offender Act 1997, as updated by the Sexual Offences Act 2003, are required to notify certain personal information, for example their address, to the police.
Following conviction for a relevant offence, a certificate of conviction recording the notification requirement is forwarded to the police by the court. The police will note the requirement on the Violent and Sex Offenders Register. The offender's Violent and Sex Offenders Register entry will be updated when he actually registers and, if he fails to do so as required, he will be flagged on the Police National Computer and followed up accordingly.
Since 2002 and the introduction of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), details of the number of registered sex offenders in the community have been routinely incorporated into the MAPPA Annual Report for each area of England and Wales. In 2004-05, MAPPA reports, the latest year of publication, recorded 28,994 registered sex offenders living in the community across England and Wales as at 31 March 2005. Further information by area is summarised in individual MAPPA reports which are published annually. The following table sets out the national figure for the number of convictions and cautions received for breach of the notification requirements. The maximum penalty for breach of the notification requirements is five years' imprisonment. Data on the penalties imposed in each case of conviction are not recorded centrally.
| RSOs cautioned or convicted for breach of registration requirements, 2001-05 | |
| Number | |
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sex offenders have breached their registration requirements in each of the last five years; and what penalties were imposed in each case. [80407]
John Reid: All sex offenders who meet the notification requirements of the Sex Offender Act 1997, as updated by the Sexual Offences Act 2003, are required to notify certain personal information, for example their address, to the police.
Following conviction for a relevant offence, a certificate of conviction recording the notification requirement is forwarded to the police by the court.
The police will note the requirement on the Violent and Sex Offenders Register. The offender’s Violent and Sex Offenders Register entry will be updated when he actually registers and, if he fails to do so as required, he will be flagged on the Police National Computer and followed up accordingly.
Since 2002 and the introduction of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), details of the number of registered sex offenders in the community has been routinely incorporated into the MAPPA Annual Report for each area of England and Wales. In 2004-05, MAPPA reports, the latest year of publication, recorded 28,994 registered sex offenders living in the community across England and Wales as at 31 March 2005. Further information by area is summarised in individual MAPPA reports which are published annually. The following table sets out the national figure for the number of convictions and cautions received for breach of the notification requirements. The maximum penalty for breach of the notification requirements is five years’ imprisonment. Data on the penalties imposed in each case of conviction is not recorded centrally.
| RSOs cautioned or convicted for breach of registration requirements 2001-05 | |
| RSOs cautioned or convicted for breach of registration requirements | |
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many registered (a) sex offenders and (b) paedophiles are resident in each police authority area. [85935]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Since 2002 and the introduction of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), details of the number of registered sex offenders in the community has been routinely incorporated into the MAPPA Annual Report for each police/probation area of England and Wales. The data are not broken down by victim age. The following table gives the total number of registered sex offenders living in each area as at 31 March 2005 as published in the MAPPA reports. Data from the City of London and the Metropolitan police are pooled under “London”.
| Area | Registered sex offenders in the community as at 31 March 2005 |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |