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2 Oct 2006 : Column 2655W—continued
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many absconders there were from Sudbury Open Prison in each of the last five years for which figures are available; what they were convicted of; what the length of their sentence was; how long they had actually served in Sudbury Open Prison prior to absconding; and if he will make a statement. [91026]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 13 September 2006]: The total number of absconds from Sudbury open prison for each of the last five financial years is given in the following table. Details about the sentence being served and the length of time left to serve could be obtained only by examination of individual prisoner records at a disproportionate cost
| Number of absconds from Sudbury open prison for each of the last five financial years | |
| Financial Year | Total |
Probation Service
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received on the planned changes to the structure and role of the Probation Service in West Lancashire. [83489]
Mr. Sutcliffe: In October 2005 we published a consultation document, “Restructuring Probation to Reduce Re-offending”. 47 responses were received from interests in Lancashire, including the Lancashire Probation Board. All commented on the proposals in general rather than on issues specific to West Lancashire.
Public Order
Mr. Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in the Wiltshire Police Authority area; how many have been breached; how many people received a custodial sentence for a breach; and how many people have been taken to court for a breach; [54567]
(2) how many breaches of antisocial behaviour orders have (a) resulted in and (b) not resulted in court action in Swindon since they were introduced. [54568]
Ms Blears: The number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued, as reported to the Home Office, is currently available up to 30 June 2005. In the Wiltshire Criminal Justice System (CJS) Area which is co-terminous with the police force area there have been 26 ASBOs issued. Of these four show prohibitions imposed within the Swindon borough council area.
ASBO breach data held centrally only cover breach proceedings where there has been a conviction and are currently available from one June 2000 to 31 December 2003 for ASBOs issued since 1 June 2000.
During this period, within the Wiltshire criminal justice system area, notification has been received of three persons having breached their ASBO on one or more occasions. Two received a custodial sentence for the breach. Breach data are available at criminal justice system area level only and are therefore not available for Swindon.
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) acceptable behaviour contracts, (b) parenting contracts, (c) parenting orders, (d) full injunctions, (e) evictions, (f) dispersal orders and (g) closure orders have been issued in each (i) constituency and (ii) local authority in England since 2001. [58022]
Ms Blears: The data are not available in the form requested. However, for the last two years the Home Office Antisocial Behaviour Unit has carried out a survey of Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in England and Community Safety Partnerships in Wales asking about their actions taken to tackle antisocial behaviour. From those who responded to the surveys the results are as follows:
This is for the period 20 January 2004 to 30 September 2004. The crack house closure power was introduced in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 and came into force on 20 January 2004.
In relation to dispersal orders from a Home Office data collection exercise in July 2005, we estimate that between January 2004 and June 2005:
809 areas were designated; and
Police officers and community support officers dispersed 14,375 people from the 293 areas where data was available.
Re-offending Action Plan
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which regional organisations will be involved in the delivery of individual pathways in Wales under the re-offending action plan; [58507]
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what organisations will be involved in the implementation of the NOMS plan for Wales; and what funds have been allocated to them for the implementation. [58506]
Fiona Mactaggart: A Pathfinder Project was commissioned by the Home Office with the agreement of the Welsh Assembly Government to examine ways of delivering a reducing re-offending strategy within the specific Welsh context. The outcome has led to the joint launch of Joining Together in Wales: an Adult and Young People’s Strategy to Reduce Re-offending on 1 February by the Welsh Assembly Government and Home Office Ministers. The strategy identifies the issues that need to be addressed and forms the basis of a consultation to develop a reducing re-offending action plan for Wales.
Following the outcome of the consultation, there will be a joint action plan to reflect the roles and responsibilities of the Welsh Assembly Government, the National Offender Management Service and other key stakeholders in Wales.
Seat Belts
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicle occupants have been fined for non-wearing of seat belts in each of the last 10 years. [91172]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 18 September 2006]: Available information on court imposed fines taken from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, from 1995 to 2004 (latest available), is given in the following table. As the majority of seat belt offences are dealt with by the issue of a fixed penalty notice these are also included.
2005 data will be available early in 2007.
| Driving or riding in a motor vehicle while not wearing a seat belt( 1,) England and Wales, 1995-2004 | |||
| Total number of court imposed fines( 2) | Total number of fixed penalties | Total dealt with | |
| (1 )Offences under sections 14(3), 15(2) and 15(4) of the Road Traffic Act 1988. (2) Includes cases where fixed penalty notices were originally issued but not paid and subsequently referred to court. Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used. | |||
Skilled Migrant Workers
Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce a transitional period for skilled and highly skilled migrant workers affected by the February implementation of the change in the minimum qualifying period for settlement. [88867]
Mr. Byrne:
The Government looked closely at the merits of introducing a transitional period for those affected by the increase in the minimum qualifying period for settlement. In deciding not to introduce a transitional period, consideration was given to the following factors: this change does not prevent anyone from doing anything that they are currently doing; it does not limit anyone's time with any employer or reduce their stay in the United Kingdom—if they meet the conditions necessary to be in the UK under the Work Permit or Highly Skilled Migrants Programmes they will be granted an extra year's leave before settlement. If they do not meet these conditions they would in any case not have qualified for settlement at four years. To introduce a transitional period for those
who arrived when the qualifying period was four years would mean that a desirable policy would not take effect until 2011.
Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with representatives of (a) Indian and (b) Chinese skilled and highly skilled migrant workers affected by the change in the minimum qualifying period for settlement. [88868]
Mr. Byrne: The change in the minimum qualifying period for settlement affects all those coming to the UK for employment including work permit holders and those entering under the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme. Our discussion of the change has, therefore, reflected this and has been principally with organisations that represent employees irrespective of their nationality.
Small Change Big Difference Campaign
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department and its agencies have taken following the launch of the Government's Small Change Big Difference Campaign. [72013]
Mr. Byrne: The Home Office with its Executive Agencies has already put in place a range of measures to promote staff well-being. These include initiatives on healthy diet and nutrition, physical exercise, mental health and well-being.
Snares
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what action he is taking to discourage the use of snares for catching birds and small mammals. [91173]
Barry Gardiner [holding answer 18 September 2006]: I have been asked to reply.
The use of any snare to catch birds is prohibited under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
The Government are committed to working to make more humane the legal use of snares to catch certain mammals. On 18 October 2005 Defra published an independent working group's report on snares together with DEFRA's “Snares Action Plan” and “Code of Good Practice on the use of Snares in Fox and Rabbit Control in England”. These are available on the Defra website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/WILDLIFE-COUNTRY SIDE/vertebrates/snares/.
Statutory Instruments
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the statutory instruments introduced by his Department since 6 May 2005. [46198]
John Reid: Please find the statutory instruments introduced by the Home Office since 6 May 2005 up to and including 27 January 2006 listed as follows. Full texts can be found on the OPSI website at www.opsi.gov.uk
The Displaced Persons (Temporary Protection) Regulations 2005 (No. 1379)
The Police Pensions (Part-time Service) Regulations 2005 (No. 1439)
The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Commencement No. 1, Transitional and Transitory Provisions) Order 2005 (No. 1521 (C.66))
The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Designated Area) Order 2005 (No. 1537)
The Road Traffic Act 1988 (Retention and Disposal of Seized Motor Vehicles) Regulations 2005 (No. 1606)
The Drugs Act 2005 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2005 (No. 1650 (C. 68))
The Misuse of Drugs (Designation) (Amendment) Order 2005 (No. 1652)
The Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2005 (No. 1653)
The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2005 (No. 1675 (C. 69))
The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (Commencement No. 2) Order 2005 (No. 1705 (C. 71))
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (Responsible Authorities) Order 2005 (No. 1789)
The Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Commencement No. 10 and Saving Provisions) Order 2005 (No. 1817 (C. 76))
The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (Commencement No. 3) Order 2005 (No. 1821 (C. 77))
The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Commencement No. 2) Order 2005 (No. 2026 (C. 86))
The Extradition Act 2003 (Amendment to Designations) ((No.2) Order 2005 (No. 2036)
The Remand in Custody (Effect of Concurrent and Consecutive Sentences of Imprisonment) Rules 2005 (No. 2054)
The Private Security Industry (Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2005 (No. 2118)
The Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Commencement No. eight and Transitional and Saving Provisions)
Order 2005 (Supplementary Provisions) Order 2005 (No. 2122)
The Police (Amendment) Regulations 2005 (No. 2834)
The Drugs Act 2005 (Commencement No. 2) Order 2005 (No. 2223 (C. 93))
The Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 (Amendment) Order 2005 (No. 2240)
The Working Time Regulations 1998 (Amendment) Order 2005 (No. 2241)
The Private Security Industry Act 2001 (Designated Activities) (No. 3) Regulations 2005 (No. 2251)
The Immigration (Leave to Remain) (Prescribed Forms and Procedures) (No. 2) Regulations 2005 (No. 2358)
The Accession (Immigration and Worker Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2005 (No. 2400)
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