House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 08 Nov 2006 (pt 0042)

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Violent Deaths

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people died as a result of being (a) shot and (b) stabbed in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [98445]

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 31 October 2006]: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Violent Sex Offenders

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on the release of violent sex offenders on parole; and if he will make a statement. [95224]

Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 19 October 2006]: Under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 implemented in April 2005, dangerous violent or sexual offenders must be sentenced either to an extended sentence for public protection (EPP) or an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP). Offenders serving an EPP can be considered for release by the Parole Board at the half-way point of the custodial element of the sentence. Offenders serving an IPP can apply to be released once they have served the minimum term set by the court.

For an offender to be released in either of these circumstances, the Parole Board must be convinced that the risk of re-offending and the risk to the public has been sufficiently reduced. In the case of IPP sentences, the offender may never be released from custody if the risk to the public cannot be managed safely in the community.

Prisoners whose offences are committed before 4 April 2005 are sentenced under the provisions of the previous legislation (Criminal Justice Act 1991). Those sentenced to a determinate prison sentence of four years or more are eligible for parole at the half way point of their sentence and will be released only if the Parole Board considers that safe. If not released at this point, they must be released at the two thirds point of their sentence and remain on licence until the three quarter point. They remain at risk of recall if they commit a further imprisonable offence during the remainder of the sentence.

Under the statutory Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) introduced in April 2001, offenders who are assessed as posing a high risk of harm to others after release from a determinate sentence undergo a more comprehensive risk assessment and more robust risk management planning and implementation. MAPPA allow relevant offenders to be identified, information to be shared and risk assessments and action plans to be agreed. Work within
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MAPPA may result in, for example, increased police monitoring, special provision for victim protection, the provision of information to employers, providers of children's services, close supervision and appropriate accommodation. All sex and other violent offenders are liable to be monitored and the level of supervision will depend upon the assessed level of risk posed by the offender, following the principle that resources follow risk.

Yarl's Wood

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pregnant women held at Yarl’s Wood are fast track cases; how many pregnant women detained there between 1 April 2004 and 31 January 2006 were fast track cases; how many of these reached 24 weeks of pregnancy while detained; and what procedures were followed in reviewing (a) the need for and (b) the conditions of their detention at this stage. [70860]

Mr. Byrne: There is at present one pregnant woman in the Fast track process who is detained at Yarl’s Wood. The Fast Track process has only been in existence since 9 May 2005.

We do not keep historical information purely on the basis of pregnancy and as such cannot give numbers of those detainees who were pregnant and are no longer in the fast track process.

We do not accept women into fast track who are more than 24 weeks pregnant. However, a woman would be released from detention when she reaches 32 weeks pregnant.

The detention of each woman is constantly monitored, pregnant or not, including considering the need to detain on the basis of each individual’s case.

A pregnant woman has access to full healthcare facilities at Yarl’s Wood. This includes access to a midwife, who oversees the individual’s medical requirements regarding the pregnancy.

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any of the seven detainees who escaped from Yarl’s Wood following the fire on 14 February 2002, and whose whereabouts remain uncertain, are known to have committed a crime either in the United Kingdom or in another country before their escape in February 2002. [79192]

Mr. Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Young Offenders

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has spent on the provision of (a) counsellors, (b) psychologists and (c) support programmes in young offender institutions in each of the last five years. [99905]

Mr. Sutcliffe: I will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.

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Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times children have been released from Ashfield Young Offender Institution without their property in the last five years. [100211]