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10 Oct 2006 : Column 692W—continued
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients waited more than (a) three, (b) six, (c) nine, (d) 12, (e) 15, (f) 18 and (g) 24 months for (i) heart operations, (ii) cancer treatment and (iii) hip replacements in (A) 1997 and (B) 1998, broken down by NHS trust. [89438]
Andy Burnham: Data on waiting times for trauma and orthopaedics, and cardiothoracic surgery have been placed in the Library.
Cancer waiting times data are not available for 1997-98. Breast cancer waiting times targets of one month from diagnosis to first treatment were introduced in 2001 and a target of two months from urgent referral to first treatment was introduced in 2002. These targets were extended to all cancer patients from December 2005.
Home Department
Arrests without Charge
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many adults were arrested and subsequently released without charge in each of the last five years. [91516]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The information requested is not available centrally. Information on arrests held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform is based on persons arrested for recorded crime “notifiable offences” by main offence group (i.e. robbery, sexual offences, theft and handling stolen goods, violence against the person, burglary etc.) only. The subsequent outcome of an arrest is not recorded within this collection.
Cannabis
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what volume of cannabis was confiscated in each year between 2002 and 2005. [91673]
Mr. Coaker: The amounts seized in England and Wales, and in Scotland, in the years for which figures are available are set out in the attached table.
| Quantity of Cannabis Seized in England and Wales 2002 -05 | ||||
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |
| n/a = not available. Source: Seizure of Drugs England and Wales 2004. Home Office Statistical Bulletin 08-06. | ||||
| Quantity of Cannabis Seized in Scotland 2002 - 05 | ||||
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |
| n/a = not available Source: Drug Offenders. Home Office Findings 256 3/05. | ||||
Class A Drugs
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce demand for opium derivatives originating from Afghanistan in this country. [90182]
Mr. Coaker: The Government have a comprehensive strategy to reduce the demand for illegal drugs and their supply, from whatever source. The National Drug Strategy is a cross-Government programme of policies and interventions that concentrates on the most dangerous drugs, particularly heroin and cocaine, the most damaged communities and problematic drug users. The strategy comprises four strands of work:
preventing young people from becoming drug misusers;
reducing the supply of illegal drugs;
increasing the number of individuals accessing effective drug treatment; and
reducing drug-related crime.
The Drug Strategy is delivering tangible improvements in communities across the country. Increasing quantities of drugs are being seized and organised crime groups and dealers disrupted. Record numbers are entering and staying in treatment: the numbers in contact with treatment services. Drug-related crime is falling. Class A drug use remains stable among young people aged 16-24, while the use of any illicit drug has fallen by 21 per cent. compared to 1998.
Crime (Milton Keynes)
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to reduce the number of alcohol-related offences in Milton Keynes. [91662]
Mr. Coaker: Thames Valley police is working with trading standards, fire services, environmental services and other relevant bodies to reduce the number of alcohol related offences. Milton Keynes’ Basic Command Unit has taken part in Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaigns since the summer of 2004. These campaigns target irresponsible retailers who sell alcohol to drunks and children, as well as individuals who drink irresponsibly and cause alcohol-related crime and disorder. The tactics used in these campaigns include intelligence-led targeting of premises in joint police and Trading Standards test-purchasing operations, as well as early intervention to deal with low level crime and disorder and robust use of penalty notices for disorder fines. The Government continue to encourage all Basic Command Units to incorporate the tactics used in these campaigns as part of their core business.
Criminal Assets
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 27 July 2006, Official Report, column 1773W, on criminal assets, what percentage of the value of criminal assets recovered went to HM Treasury; and if he will make a statement. [92343]
Mr. Coaker: As agreed with Her Majesty's Treasury, from 2003-04 all recovered criminal assets have been used in support of the Government's objectives in tackling crime, including organised crime. The proportion claimed by Her Majesty's Treasury is, therefore, nil. Previously all receipts from recovered assets were remitted to Her Majesty's Treasury.
Drink-driving
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been found guilty of driving while intoxicated within London’s City and Metropolitan police areas in each of the last five years. [92483]
Mr. Coaker: Information taken from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform on findings of guilt for offences of driving etc after consuming alcohol or taking drugs, from 2000 to 2004 (latest available) is given in the following table. The majority of convictions within this offence group are for the offence of
“driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle while having a breath, urine or blood alcohol concentration in excess of the prescribed limit
[Road Traffic Act 1988,s. 5 (1) (a)]’.
Data for 2005 will be available early in 2007.
| Findings of guilt at all courts for offences of driving etc after consuming alcohol or taking drugs( 1) , City of London and Metropolitan police force areas—2000-04 | |||||
| Number of offences | |||||
| Police force | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004( 2) |
| (1 )Including the following offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988: Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs (impairment), [s. 4(1)] Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle while having a breath, urine or blood alcohol concentration in excess of the prescribed limit. [ s. 5 (1) (a) ] Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time, he/she was driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [ s. 7 (6) ] In charge of a motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs (impairment). [ s. 4 (2) ] In charge of a motor vehicle while having a breath, urine or blood alcohol concentration in excess of the prescribed limit. [ s. 5 (1) (b) ] In charge of a motor vehicle and failing to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time, he/she was driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [ s. 7 (6) ] Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen of breath for a preliminary test. [ s. 6 (4) ] Excluding offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s. 3A: Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs. (2) From 2004 onwards the courts were asked to identify separately drink and drugs offences, under s. 4 (1) and s. 4 (2) of the RTA88, where this information was clearly evident. In 2004 most courts continued to record as combined drink/drugs offences. 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 inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. | |||||
Human Trafficking
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures have been put in place to deal with human trafficking from China. [92487]
Mr. Coaker: A range of activities have been introduced in China to address the gender inequalities that lead to trafficking and commercial sex work. The Department for International Development is providing £615,000 over four years (2004-08) to an International Labour Organisation project to prevent trafficking in girls and young women for labour exploitation within China. We are also providing support to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) to strengthen the implementation, monitoring and reporting on the Convention on Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women.
Internet (Terrorism)
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to bring in legislation requiring internet service providers and search engines to censor information deemed to promote incitement to terrorism or the financing of terrorism; and if he will make a statement. [92400]
Mr. Coaker:
Section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2006, explicitly extends the application of sections 1 and 2
—encouragement of terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publication—to internet activity. Section 3 of the Act requires the relevant person to take-down material on the internet or other electronic services that is unlawfully terrorism-related.
As with all forms of terrorist legislation, the Government review its effectiveness and ease of enforcement as and when it is needed.
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