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5 Dec 2006 : Column 294W—continued

Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) suicides, (b) attempted suicides, (c) self-harm incidents and (d) assaults on inmates by other inmates have taken place in HM prisons in each year since 1997. [105992]

Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 28 November 2006]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 28 November 2006, Official Report, columns 671-72W, to question number 103622 for the information requested at (a) and (b) of his question.

The information requested at (c) and (d) in the question is provided in the following tables. In December 2002, a new self-harm incident recording form (F213SH) was introduced, which captures more criteria than previously. Consequently there was a 60 per cent. increase in cases recorded. It is not recommended to compare pre-2003 and post-2003 self-harm figures. Improved recording over the years also means that the annual number of prisoner on prisoner assaults before 2000 are not readily comparable with later years.

Self-harm incidents
	Thousand
1997	1.5
1998	3.1
1999	3.6
2000	4.9
2001	7.8
2002	10
2003(1)	16
2004(1)	19
2005(1)	23

5 Dec 2006 : Column 295W

Prisoner on prisoner assaults
	Thousand
1997(2)	2.1
1998(2)	3.8
1999(2)	5.5
2000	7.2
2001	7.9
2002	8.7
2003	9
2004	9.4
2005	10.8
(1) In December 2002, a new self-harm incident recording form (F213SH) was introduced, which captures more criteria than previously. Consequently there was a 60 per cent. increase in cases recorded. This reporting increase has tailed off but a more realistic picture of the levels of self-harm now exists. It is not recommended to compare pre-2003 and post-2003 self-harm figures. (2) Due to improved recording over the years the annual number of prisoner on prisoner assaults before 2000 are not readily comparable with later years. Notes: 1. The tables show annual numbers of self-harm and assaults incidents in prisons in England and Wales to the nearest thousand. 2. The number of self-harm incidents and assaults reported are derived from the Prison Service Incident Reporting System (IRS). This system processes high volumes of data supplied by prisons and is constantly being updated. The numbers indicated provide a useful indication of the realistic scale of assaults and self-harm incidents, many of which are relatively minor. The numbers should not be interpreted as absolute. 3. The increase in reported numbers of assaults reflects, in part, the increase in prison population.

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many calls were received by the Prison Service wrongdoing line in the year ending 31 March 2006; and if he will make a statement. [106788]

Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 4 December 2006]: In the year ending 31 March 2006, 99 calls were made to the Prison Service wrongdoing line at the Professional Standards Unit.

Dr. Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people detained in prison are diagnosed as psychopathic; and what trends there have been in the number diagnosed over the last 10 years. [106868]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry (2005), No. 186, p339 to 345 suggests that between about 4 and 7 per cent. of prisoners would meet the criteria of psychopathy. We have no information about how this percentage might have varied over the past 10 years.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the plans by the governor of HMP Wymott to review the work-life balance policy at the prison. [107257]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Wymott has a Work Life Balance (WLB) scheme incorporated into its working patterns
5 Dec 2006 : Column 296W
and nearly 20 per cent. of unified grades at the prison, up to senior officer level, have WLB arrangements in place. Wymott is currently in the process of reviewing all WLB agreements that are in operation, in accordance with Prison Service Order (PSO) 8010, Equal Opportunities, to ensure that staffing levels meet the establishment’s needs.

Probation Service

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to try to attract businessmen or businesswomen to become members of probation trusts; and what the remuneration will be for members of probation trusts. [107757]

Mr. Sutcliffe: In the current recruitment exercise for probation board chairs and members we have sought to attract applicants from across the public, private and not for profit sectors. We have particularly sought to attract individuals with ‘business acumen’ in whichever sector such skills have been obtained. During the present process we have written directly to the Magistrates’ Association, and the LGA, as well as to such organisations as Lions and Rotary Clubs, to encourage applicants with diverse experiences. This has been supported by considerable additional activity to encourage applicants from BME and other traditionally under represented groups.

The skills, abilities and business acumen we are seeking during the current recruitment campaign are the same as we would wish to see represented on probation trusts.

The remuneration for trust chairs and members has not been yet been determined although presently, depending on the size of the area, probation chairs are paid between £15,400 and £27,500 and are asked to commit up to two days a week. Board members are paid at an hourly rate of £15.40 with a commitment of up to five days a month.

Road Safety

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were (a) prosecuted and (b) fined for (i) failing to wear a crash helmet and (ii) unlawful pillion riding in each year for which figures are available since 1997, broken down by police force area. [102453]

Mr. Coaker: Available information taken from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform for the years 1997 to 2004 (latest available) is given in the table. 2005 data will be available early 2007.

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5 Dec 2006 : Column 298W

Proceedings at magistrates courts and the number of fines given for offences of driving or riding on a motor cycle without wearing protective headgear( 1) by police force area, England and Wales 1997-2004
Number of offences
	1997		1998		1999		2000
Police force area	Total proceedings	Fine	Total proceedings	Fine	Total proceedings	Fine	Total proceedings	Fine
Avon and Somerset	66	16	43	13	51	9	36	9
Bedfordshire	11	4	11	1	11	4	18	2
Cambridgeshire	42	9	38	10	28	4	40	6
Cheshire	38	10	50	17	53	24	54	22
Cleveland	43	10	43	10	24	8	45	4
Cumbria	44	7	39	8	33	3	31	6
Derbyshire	63	13	89	28	42	10	40	9
Devon and Cornwall	32	6	34	7	50	10	41	8
Dorset	33	4	26	5	22	2	23	3
Durham	54	12	49	13	54	16	76	22
Essex	67	20	83	25	66	21	95	26
Gloucestershire	31	3	15	5	19	4	23	4
Greater Manchester	100	21	146	44	124	35	177	56
Hampshire	74	14	117	30	84	26	83	22
Hertfordshire	38	13	33	12	22	10	30	9
Humberside	98	15	90	16	90	14	69	14
Kent	46	26	49	16	42	17	56	17
Lancashire	114	34	113	28	97	34	97	25
Leicestershire	26	3	31	3	43	7	32	3
Lincolnshire	43	13	39	8	27	11	43	12
London, City of	4	3	2	2	3	1	2	2
Merseyside	76	11	68	6	80	13	67	11
Metropolitan Police	179	76	174	70	203	73	214	83
Norfolk	33	12	30	10	36	15	46	18
Northamptonshire	31	9	75	17	91	8	51	6
Northumbria	149	23	199	33	197	27	163	24
North Yorkshire	59	10	44	9	52	12	59	22
Nottinghamshire	79	13	67	9	55	11	38	5
South Yorkshire	113	18	89	11	102	15	110	22
Staffordshire	45	5	48	10	35	10	49	12
Suffolk	33	15	30	9	38	11	41	18
Surrey	14	4	12	5	17	13	24	9
Sussex	48	11	50	11	29	4	42	12
Thames Valley	46	13	44	12	42	9	49	14
Warwickshire	27	10	50	11	21	8	40	14
West Mercia	69	26	71	10	58	17	55	10
West Midlands	156	44	113	31	117	37	131	31
West Yorkshire	105	13	114	19	114	16	107	8
Wiltshire	23	7	25	9	15	3	27	7
Dyfed Powys	23	12	13	7	15	7	32	14
Gwent	38	18	28	17	33	10	24	9
North Wales	27	16	27	14	19	15	15	6
South Wales	78	16	82	10	74	18	81	17
England and Wales	2,519	638	2,593	641	2,428	622	2,576	653

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