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20 Oct 2006 : Column 1467W—continued
Sonic Teenager Deterrent
James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether his Department has ever recommended the use of the sonic teenager deterrent to (a) police forces and (b) local authorities as a method of controlling the assembly of young people; [94979]
(2) what guidance his Department has produced for (a) police forces and (b) local authorities on the use of the sonic teenager deterrent; [94980]
(3) how many (a) police forces and (b) local authorities use the sonic teenager deterrent as a method of controlling the assembly of young people in certain areas; [94981]
(4) what assessment he has made of the potential implications of the Human Rights Act 1998 for the use of the Sonic Teenager Deterrent by police forces and local authorities. [95087]
Mr. McNulty [holding answers 18 and 19 October 2006]: We encourage local agencies to consider the full range of innovations, schemes and practices intended to reduce crime, the fear of crime and antisocial behaviour. It is for local agencies like the police and local authorities to decide on the most appropriate interventions to tackle antisocial behaviour based on their knowledge of what works best locally.
We do encourage agencies to adopt a tiered approach with a blend of measures to provide a proportionate response. The Home Office does not promote or recommend any particular commercial product or venture above this.
The Home Office has not produced guidance for police and local authorities on the use of the sonic teenager deterrent.
The use of any device like the sonic teenager deterrent which claims to disperse groups of young people should be treated with caution and if used should form part of an overall strategy to tackle the drivers of that antisocial behaviour and to encourage more constructive behaviour.
Terrorism
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those detained without charge under anti-terrorist legislation and subsequently released have later been charged with terrorist offences. [95206]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 19 October 2006]: The Home Office does not routinely collate this information and accordingly the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Wildlife Crime
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve the recording of wildlife crime. [89365]
Mr. McNulty: Non-notifiable wildlife crime and wildlife incidents are recorded under the National Standard for Incident Recording (NSIR), which is being implemented by police forces during 2006-07. This is in addition to notifiable wildlife crimes, which continue to be recorded under the National Crime Recording Standard. This standard recording of all wildlife crime and incidents represents a significant step forward as previously only the recording of a limited number of notifiable wildlife crimes was nationally mandated and defined.
Work and Pensions
Carers Allowance
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what entitlement people receiving state pensions have to carers' allowance; and if he will make a statement. [93564]
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 16 October 2006]: People receiving a state pension are entitled to carer's allowance if they satisfy the usual conditions of entitlement. However, since both benefits serve the same purpose of providing a measure of income replacement, they cannot both be paid in full. In practice, the state pension takes precedence as the contributory benefit and is paid in full while only the balance of any carer's allowance is paid if it exceeds the state pension.
Although this often means that carer's allowance is not paid at all, since 2002 the underlying entitlement to the benefit gives access to the carer's additional amount of £26.35 a week in pension credit and to the carer premium of the same amount in income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
Departmental Vehicles
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many vehicles are operated by his Department, broken down by make and model. [92612]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department currently operates 2,449 vehicles and the breakdown by make and model is shown in the following table.
These vehicles are purchased under a competitively led DWP framework agreement to ensure value for money. The Department has recently led a procurement for a new Government-wide framework that will commence in December.
| DWP Vehicles Operated by Make and Model— October 2006 | ||
| Vehicle Make | Vehicle Model | Number |
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