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8 Feb 2007 : Column 1088W—continued
Prisons
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on the Prison Service in each of the last 10 financial years. [103616]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The information is in the following table.
| Home Office revenue net cash outflow( 1) for prisons | |
| £ million | |
| (1)Revenue net cash outflow covers spending on pay and ongoing non pay items (e.g. prisoners' meals) and excludes one off capital expenditure and non-cash accounting charges such as cost of capital. (2) Estimate. | |
The figures include: (a) HM Prison Service (HMPS) net cash outflow as published in its annual accounts; (b) from 2003-04 onwards, spending on contracted prisons, which from 2003-04 are no longer included in HMPS accounts; and (c) for 2005-06 and 2006-07 a detailed estimate of spending on services which transferred from the Prison Service to NOMS centre.
Budgets and expenditure for education and health in prisons transferred to the Department for Education and Skills and Department of Health with effect from 2001-02 and 2003-4 respectively. Budgets and expenditure for juveniles transferred to the Youth Justice Board (a non-departmental public body) from 2000-01. The figures provided above exclude these items with effect from the appropriate years.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were held (a) in each prison and (b) in police cells in Essex in each of the last 10 years. [111828]
Mr. Sutcliffe: In response to (a), information on the number of prisoners held in prison establishments in Essex since 1997 can be found in the following table.
In response to (b), police cells were used in Essex in 2002 (between July and December), in 2006 (between October to December) and 2007 (from 22 January). However, the precise numbers are not available centrally.
The figures given in this answer relating to the number of prisoners held in prison establishments 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 figures may not be accurate to that level.
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are held at Ford Prison; what category of offence has been committed by each of the inmates at the prison; and what the term of the prison sentence was in each case. [116194]
Mr. Sutcliffe: At the end of November 2006 there were 454 prisoners detained in Ford Prison. The data on the numbers of prisoners detained for each offence group are not available because the numbers are small and their accuracy at this level of detail cannot be guaranteed. Of these 454 prisoners 83 were sentenced to a period of detention of less than 12 months; 167 were sentenced to 12 months to four years; and 204 were sentenced to over four years.
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 figures may not be accurate to that level.
Prisons: Nutrition
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department (a) has commissioned and (b) is supporting on the effect of improved nutrition on behaviour in prisons. [118209]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Home Office has not commissioned research into the relationship between nutrition and behaviour in prisons. Support has been given to the charity Natural Justice by previously facilitating research in this area at Aylesbury young offender institution and in offering additional establishments for further research.
Privacy Impact Assessment
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a privacy impact assessment (a) has been produced and (b) is planned for (i) the identity cards scheme and (ii) the Automated Number Plate Recognition project. [112580]
Joan Ryan:
No privacy impact assessment has been produced, or is planned, for the National Identity Scheme. However, the questions of privacy and confidentiality of data have been repeatedly considered, including in the course of extensive debate in Parliament during the passage of the Identity Cards Act 2006. We have published a Regulatory Impact Assessment and a Race Equality Impact Assessment, and both the legislation itself and
the operation of the scheme must comply with the Human Rights Act 1998 and Data Protection Act 1998. The Identity Cards Act makes unauthorised disclosure of information from the National Identity Register a criminal offence. The National Identity Scheme Commissioner will oversee the operation of the scheme, including keeping under review arrangements for securing the confidentiality and integrity of information recorded in the register.
No privacy impact assessment has been produced, or is planned, relating to the police use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR). Police forces in England and Wales currently share ANPR data for the prevention and detection of crime and for intelligence analysis purposes. This exchange of data is covered by existing legislation.
Race Relations
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which groups and organisations the Prison Service considers to be racist. [118394]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Staff in the Prison Service are not permitted to be a member of the British National Party, the National Front, Combat 18 or any other group or organisation promoting racism.
Rape Convictions
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve the proportion of successful rape convictions in Chorley. [118932]
Mr. Coaker: In order to improve performance on the investigation and prosecution of rape, we have made a range of changes including introducing specially trained officers and specialist rape prosecutors to build better cases; overhauling out-dated laws on sexual offences and the use of evidence; and creating special measures to make it easier for victims of rape to give evidence. Last year we consulted on additional measures aimed at improving rape prosecutions, and hope to publish the conclusions of the consultation shortly. We have recently visited all police forces, including Lancashire, to discuss their strategies for investigating rape and will continue to work with them to ensure improvements continue to be made.
The Government are also committed to reducing victim withdrawals by supporting victims through the criminal justice process. As part of a national project, we have funded two Independent Sexual Violence Advisors within Lancashire to provide advocacy and support to victims of sexual violence in the region.
Victims in Chorley can also access the SAFE Centre, a Sexual Assault Referral Centre where victims of sexual assault receive medical care and counselling, and have the opportunity to assist the police investigation through undergoing a forensic examination.
Rape Victims
Lorely Burt:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken to (a) improve the response by the police and
Crown Prosecution Service to alleged rape victims and (b) improve the conviction rates in such cases. [118662]
Mr. Coaker: In order to improve performance on the investigation and prosecution of rape we have introduced specially trained officers and specialist rape prosecutors to build better cases; overhauled out-dated laws on sexual offences and evidence; and introduced special measures to make it easier for victims to give evidence. Last year we consulted on additional measures aimed at improving rape prosecutions, and hope to publish the conclusions of the consultation shortly. Over the last three years the Government have invested around £7 million in Sexual Assault Referral Centres, sexual violence counselling services and advocacy services, to ensure that victims are better supported within and outside of the criminal justice process.
We have recently visited all police forces to discuss their strategies for investigating rape and will be working closely with them, and the CPS, over the coming year to ensure that improvements continue to be made.
Sentencing Statistics
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many defendants in England and Wales received immediate custodial sentences for offences of (a) obtaining property by deception, (b) perverting or attempting to pervert the course of justice and (c) theft in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [118875]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The information requested is contained in the following table.
| Persons sentenced to immediate custody for certain offences, England and Wales, 2001 to 2005 | |||
| Obtaining property by deception | Perverting the course of justice( 1) | Theft and handling stolen goods | |
| Notes: (1 )Common law offences and offences of intimidating or harming jurors or witnesses. Although care is taken in collating and analysing the returns used to compile these figures, the data are of necessity subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Consequently, although figures are shown to the last digit in order to provide a comprehensive record of the information collected, they are not necessarily accurate to the last digit shown.( )Common law offences and offences of intimidating or harming jurors or witnesses. Source: RDS-NOMS, Home Office | |||
Single Non-emergency Number
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to implement Wave 2 of the single non-emergency number; [112315]
(2) if he will publish the conclusions of the review of the implementation of the pilot stages of the single non-emergency number for the police. [112316]
Mr. McNulty: Evaluation and assessment of the introduction of the single non-emergency number, 101, in the five Wave 1 police and local authority partnership areas are currently ongoing. Plans for future programme development beyond Wave 1 partnership areas will be deferred pending the outcome of this evaluation and assessment, including optimum costs and benefits, to be completed in autumn 2007. We will review how we make the results of this work available when appropriate.
Victims Fund
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many voluntary service organisations (a) bid for funding and (b) were awarded funding from the Victims Fund in each year for the last five years; and how much was awarded. [117807]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 2 February 2006]: The Government have invested £5.25 million into the sexual violence and abuse sector through the Victims Fund over the last three years, with over £3 million going directly to voluntary and community sector organisations.
The following table provides a breakdown of the number of applicants; number of voluntary and community sector organisations funded; and total grand awards for each year.
| Applicants | VCS organisations funded | Total funding (£) | |
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