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31 Oct 2006 : Column 392W—continued
Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what reviews have been undertaken into the schemes relating to ex gratia payments from public funds or under section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 of compensation for miscarriages of justice since 1997; when each such review was undertaken; and who undertook each one; [94400]
(2) what consultation has taken place on compensation and other redress for victims of miscarriages of justice, their relatives and campaigners since 1997. [94401]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The former Home Secretary, and any supporting Ministers, approved all cases for eligibility under the schemes. They are therefore well placed to keep the arrangements under continuous and careful review. The former Home Secretary announced some changes to the arrangements on 19 April 2006, Official Report, columns 15-17WS. The further changes that are planned will require primary legislation and will therefore be subject to parliamentary scrutiny and debate.
Parliamentary Questions
Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to question 25122, on Immigration and Nationality Directorate caseworkers, tabled by the hon. Member for Battersea for answer on 3 November 2005. [84837]
Mr. Byrne: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 26 October 2006, Official Report, column 2125W.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer questions (a) 76868 and (b) 80399, on Sakchai Makao, tabled by the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland. [86439]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 18 July 2006]: I replied to the hon. Member as follows:
(a) 7 August 2006, Official Report, column 1933W, and
(b) 4 October 2006, Official Report, column 508W.
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to question 73528, on the Tipping Point target, tabled by the hon. Member for Ashford for answer on 24 May 2006. [88266]
Mr. Byrne: I replied to the hon. Member on 18 October 2006, Official Report, column 1317W.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer question 81775 tabled by the hon. Member for Forest of Dean on 27 June for answer on 3 July. [89853]
Mr. Byrne: I replied to the hon. Member on 4 October 2006, Official Report, column 508W.
Pensioner Benefits (Hendon)
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pensioners resident in Hendon have taken part in the discount passport scheme. [96932]
Joan Ryan: The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) does not ask passport holders to keep their address up to date on its database. IPS cannot therefore identify the number of current residents within the Hendon constituency (or any other constituency) that have taken advantage of the scheme to issue free passports to those applicants born on or before 2 September 1929.
At the end of September 2006, 376,668 people born on or before 2 September 1929 and resident in the UK have received free passports from the IPS under the concessionary passport scheme.
Police
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how population growth is taken into account when calculating the Total Resource Allocation Formula for police forces. [98146]
Mr. McNulty: The Police Funding Formula is used to make an assessment of the relative demands placed on each police authority in England and Wales. The population of each authority is a key driver within this formula With the introduction of multi-year settlements in 2006-07, projections of population are used to ensure that the formula is forward looking. The population projections are constructed using information supplied by the National Assembly for Wales and the Registrar General.
Grant allocations made to police authorities also take into account each authority's ability to generate resources through the policing precept. To ensure stability, final general grant allocations in 2006-07 were adjusted to ensure that each authority received a minimum increase of 3.1 per cent.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress has been made on negotiations over police pay. [98338]
Mr. McNulty: The 2006 police officer pay award is now subject to arbitration.
Prisons
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Statement of 9th October, on prison capacity, what his assessment is of the reasons why (a) France, (b) Germany, (c) Austria, (d) Belgium, (e) the Netherlands, (f) Switzerland, (g) Denmark, (h) Finland, (i) Iceland, (j) Ireland, (k) Norway, (l) Sweden, (m) Greece and (n) Italy have lower prison populations than the UK. [93034]
Mr. Sutcliffe: As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary said on 9 October 2006, Official Report, column 42, valid international comparisons are difficult because of the variations in a range of factors, including how one measures offences detected and offences reported. Analysis published by the Council of Europe in the European Sourcebook of Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics: Key Findings 2000 concluded that the length of custodial sanctions was the most important factor in the size of the prison population.
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a prison governor subject to an escape attempt may be responsible for the subsequent investigation into that incident; and if he will make a statement. [97506]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Responsibility for the investigation of incidents, including attempted escapes, lies within the line management structure. Based upon an assessment of the nature, seriousness and particular circumstances of the incident the appropriate manager commissions the investigation and appoints a lead investigator. Normally the investigation will be carried out by a local team, unless the commissioning manager judges that a greater level of independence is needed.
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what training has been provided to (a) members of the Prison Service Management Board and (b) Prison Service area managers on the requirements on the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; and if he will make a statement; [89918]
(2) what action he has taken to ensure that the interrogation of private cash accounts of inmates by the Prison Service is consistent with the requirements of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [89919]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 9 October 2006]: Members of the Prison Service Management Board have not received specific training on the requirements of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, but last discussed the issue on 17 July 2006. Prison Service area managers have not received specific training either but the issue has been discussed at both operational directorate and operational policy group meetings on a number of occasions.
Prisoners' private cash accounts are managed with the consent of prisoners. Any interrogation is overt and not undertaken under the legislative framework of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners escaped or absconded from (a) Category A, (b) Category B, (c) Category C and (d) Category D prisons in each of the last five years; [91510]
(2) how many prisoners absconded from (a) category A, (b) category B, (c) category C and (d) category D prisons in each of the last five years. [94283]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The following table details escapes from prisons by category of prison and absconds that occurred during the last five financial years.
Escapes only apply to closed establishments, absconds only apply to open, category D, prisons. Although a small number of absconds have been recorded from closed establishments category D prisoners have absconded when working outside the prison.
| Escapes and absconds from prisons between 2001 to 2006 | ||||||||||
| 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | ||||||
| Function | Escapes | Absconds | Escapes | Absconds | Escapes | Absconds | Escapes | Absconds | Escapes | Absconds |
| Data are based on the current set of establishment functions. | ||||||||||
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