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31 Oct 2006 : Column 396W—continued


David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were transferred from category (a) A and (b) B prisons to category D prisons in each of the last five years. [94289]

Mr. Sutcliffe: No prisoners held in category A conditions within establishments have been moved to category D conditions in the last five years.

The total number of prisoners moved from category B to D conditions is not held centrally.

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) foreign national prisoners and (b) non-foreign national prisoners are held at Ford Prison; and how many in each category were held there in each of the last five years. [94787]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The population of Her Majesty’s Prison Ford on 18 October 2006 was 482. None of these are considered to be foreign nationals.

Historical information on previous numbers of foreign national and non-foreign national prisoners is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

The population at Her Majesty’s Prison Ford on 18 October in previous years is as follows:

Number

2002

536

2003

509

2004

535

2005

536


Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2006, Official Report, column 1349W, on prisons, when the contributions of the external agencies consulted during the development of PSO 6300 were received; whether any of those contributions commented on the maximum allowable time for release on temporary licence; and which prison establishments provided feedback during the development of PSO 6300. [97389]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The feedback received from the external agencies listed in my previous answer addressed a wide variety of issues concerning temporary release, including the extent to which temporary release was available under various
31 Oct 2006 : Column 397W
circumstances. None of the responses referred to specific allowable time limits for temporary release.

Operational managers and staff from a number of prisons provided feedback during course of the review period. Specific details are not readily available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place in (a) prisons and (b) other custodial institutions to prevent self harm and suicide being committed by inmates; when he last reviewed such provisions; and if he will make a statement. [97623]

Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 30 October 2006]: Prison Service Order 2700 (current version issued in November 2002) sets out the procedures for suicide prevention and self-harm management in the Prison Service in England and Wales. This is available on the internet at http://pso.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/PSO_2700_suicide_and_self_harm_prevention.doc. PSO 2700 is currently being revised to incorporate learning from the Safer Locals Programme (2001-05), learning from death in custody investigation reports, and recent safer custody initiatives, including the introduction of ACCT (Assessment, Care in Custody & Teamwork—the new care-planning system for at-risk prisoners). The revised PSO is planned to be issued in 2007.

Detention Services within immigration have traditionally adopted similar suicide/self-harm prevention strategies to the Prison Service, and are currently implementing a version of the ACCT system.

Each facility within the secure psychiatric services estate has its own self-harm and suicide prevention policies, which are informed by guidance issued by the National Institute for Mental Health in 2003, “Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for Mental Health Services.”

Youth Justice Board (YJB) contracts with Secure Children's Homes (SCHs) and Secure Training Centres (STCs) stipulate that risks of self-harm and suicide must be treated seriously and responded to. The YJB monitors Suicide and Self-Harm (SASH) plans and policies to ensure they are reviewed and updated. Custodial staff are expected to demonstrate an understanding of SASH policies and practices, that SASH review meetings are programmed and that risks of self-harm are considered during the initial assessment stage following admission and in every subsequent review and planning meeting. The Commission of Social Care Inspectorate (CSCI) carries out announced and unannounced inspections each year to monitor how SCHs and STCs are adhering to statutory regulations and national minimum standards issued by the Department of Health.

Guidance relating to the risk of self-harm and suicide posed by individuals detained in police custody is contained in the “Guidance on the Safer Detention and Handling of Persons,” which was published on 8 February 2006.


31 Oct 2006 : Column 398W

Probation Service

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation employees in each probation area have been on sick leave absence for (a) more than a month, (b) more than two months, (c) more than six months and (d) more than one year. [89882]

Mr. Sutcliffe: These data are not captured centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many defendants in England and Wales are under the supervision of the Probation Service; and how many probation officers there are to provide such supervision. [97250]

Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 26 October 2006]: As at 31 December 2005 there were 224,094 people being supervised by the Probation Service in England and Wales.

As at 31 December 2005, based on a full-time equivalent calculation of staff numbers, some 12,715 probation staff were involved in supervision, of whom 6,173 were probation officers.

These figures have been 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 although shown to the last individual the figure may not be accurate to that level.

Road Safety

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cyclists have been (a) cautioned, (b) charged and (c) successfully prosecuted in each of the last five years for (i) being under the influence of illegal drugs, (ii) being above the legal alcoholic limit and (iii) using a mobile telephone while cycling. [96894]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Data held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform for the number of cautions, prosecutions, and convictions for the number of cyclists being under the influence of drugs and alcohol, in England and Wales, 2000 to 2004 can be found in the following tables. It is not possible to separately identify the number of cyclists cautioned, prosecuted, or convicted, while under the influence of either drink or drugs.

A regulation prohibiting the use of mobile phones while driving came into force on 1 December 2003. The regulation does not apply to cyclists, although the police have powers to deal with careless or dangerous cycling.

The number of cyclists cautioned, proceeded against and convicted for cycling dangerously can be found in the following tables.

It is not possible to identify cases where people have been charged, as this information is not held centrally by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. While the Home Office does collect data on those recorded crime offences which are dealt with by means of a charge or
31 Oct 2006 : Column 399W
summons, the offences asked for in this PQ are summary and do not form part of the recorded crime series.

Number of persons cautioned, prosecuted at magistrates courts, or found guilty at all courts, for certain pedal cycling offences in England and Wales, 2000 to 2004( 1, 2)
Cautions
Statute Offence description 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Road Traffic Act 1988 section 28

Dangerous riding by pedal cyclist

9

4

2

7

3

Road Traffic Act 1988 section 30

Pedal cyclist riding under the influence of drink or drugs

20

9

10

7

14

Total

29

13

12

14

17


Prosecutions( 3)
Statute Offence description 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Road Traffic Act 1988 section 28

Dangerous riding by pedal cyclist

29

30

27

21

37

Road Traffic Act 1988 section 30

Pedal cyclist riding under the influence of drink or drugs

70

46

44

55

45

Total

99

76

71

76

82


Found guilty( 3)
Statute Offence description 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Road Traffic Act 1988 section 28

Dangerous riding by pedal cyclist

23

19

18

18

32

Road Traffic Act 1988 section 30

Pedal cyclist riding under the influence of drink or drugs

58

38

38

43

40

Total

81

57

56

61

72

(1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis.
(2) 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. 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.
(3) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.
Source:
RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists have been (a) cautioned, (b) charged and (c) successfully prosecuted for using (i) noisy exhaust systems and (ii) loud stereo systems in each of the last five years. [96896]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Information on drivers charged with motoring offences is not collected centrally.

Available data on written warnings (including cautions) and prosecutions for noise offences under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations
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1986, Regs. 54-58, 97-99 combined, from 2000 to 2004 (latest available), are provided in the following tables.

2005 data will be available early in 2007.

Table A: Written warnings( 1) for noise offences( 2) : England and Wales: 2000 to 2004
Number of offences

2000

158

2001

148

2002

153

2003

99

2004

71

(1) Includes cautions for the offence.
(2) Offences under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, Regs. 54-58 and 97-99.

Table B: Proceedings at magistrates courts and findings of guilt at all courts for noise offences( 1) : England and Wales, 2000 to 2004
Number of offences
Total proceedings Total findings of guilt

2000

4,616

3,334

2001

3,688

2,636

2002

3,221

2,272

2003

2,653

1,807

2004

2,048

1,479

(1) Offences under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, Regs. 54-58 and 97-99.
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.

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cyclists were (a) cautioned and (b) charged for (i) going through red lights and (ii) cycling in the dark without lights in each year since 1997. [96898]

Mr. Sutcliffe: It is not possible to identify the number of cyclists cautioned for traffic light offences in England and Wales, as this offence is grouped with a range of other cycling offences and cannot be separated.

The number of cyclists cautioned, or prosecuted, for cycling without lights can be found in the following table.

It is not possible to identify cases where people have been charged, as this information is not held centrally by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. Whilst the Home Office does collect data on those recorded crime offences which are dealt with by means of a charge or summons, the offences asked for in this PQ are summary and do not form part of the recorded crime series.

Court proceedings data for 2005 will be available in November 2006.


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