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20 Feb 2007 : Column 628W—continued
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners absconded from Ford Prison in each month since 1 January 2006; what category of offences had been committed by each of those prisoners; what the term of the prison sentence was of each prisoner; on what date each escaped; on what date each was returned to prison; and what penalty each received as a consequence of absconding. [116196]
Mr. Sutcliffe:
The number of prisoners who absconded from Ford prison in each month of 2006 is
set out in the following table. Figures for April to December are subject to end of year confirmation as the Prison Service records these figures by financial year.
Information on offences, sentence length recapture and subsequent penalties could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However Ford holds prisoners serving the full range of sentences up to and including life imprisonment, and for the full range of offences excluding sex offences.
| Number of prisoners who absconded from Ford prison | |
| Each month of 2006 | Absconds |
Mr. Howard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prison places were classed as crowded accommodation in each year since 1997; [118836]
(2) pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 7 November 2006, Official Report, columns 1425-26W, on prisons, what proportion of the figure provided for (a) increased prison capacity and (b) planned additional prison places is accounted for by crowded accommodation; and if he will make a statement. [119020]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 5 February 2007]: HM Prison Service does not collect data for the number of prison places classed as overcrowded accommodation. The table shows the monthly average number and proportion of prisoners held in crowded conditions, in each financial year since 1998-1999. HM Prison Service does not hold this data prior to 1 April 1998.
Decisions have not yet been taken on crowding of future capacity. The 10,000 places announced by the Government are planned as uncrowded capacity.
| Table 18836: Numbers held in crowded conditions. | |
| Numbers held in crowded conditions | |
| (1) Provisional data based on YTD position at end December. | |
Prostitution
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken to help women prostitutes who are victims of crime. [110445]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Addressing the increased risks of violent or sexual crime faced by those involved in prostitution in is a key element of the Government’s co-ordinated prostitution strategy. Following the publication of the strategy, the Home Office has taken a number of steps to contribute to keeping women safe. These include:
the ‘Ugly Mugs’ Campaign. This joint initiative with Crimestoppers sends out a clear message that violence against those involved in prostitution is a crime and will not be tolerated. It encourages the reporting of such crimes via Crimestoppers and the sharing of information between the police and local support projects so that women are made aware of 'dodgy punters' as quickly as possible;
funding personal safety training. This safety training, developed and delivered by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, is tailored specifically to the needs of women involved in street-based prostitution and has been made available through specialist support projects across the country;
encouraging the development of links between Sexual Assault Referral Centres and specialist projects in their areas to encourage women in prostitution to use them if they are the victims of crime;
funding, through the Home Office Victims Fund, a new post in the specialist project in Doncaster to develop an advocacy role to support women who may be victims of crime. This will be used as the basis for the development of guidance on advocacy services which will be made available to all specialist projects;
the development of training modules for the police to provide guidance on appropriate responses to crime against those involved in street prostitution and increased partnership between the police and specialist projects.
Serious Organised Crime Agency: Colombia
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps were taken to ensure that seconded UK Serious Organised Crime Agency personnel did not work with members of the Colombian Department of Administrative Security during Operation White Dollar, with particular regards to (a) human rights abuses and (b) collusion with paramilitaries; and if he will make a statement. [119085]
Mr. Coaker: Operation White Dollar took place during 2004. The Serious Organised Crime Agency came into being on 1 April 2006. SOCA’s co-operation with all overseas law enforcement partners is conducted in compliance with relevant UK law.
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2006, Official Report, columns 524-5W, on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, why the Consultation on Proposals for a UK Action Plan of January 2006, Annex A, page 21 states that the UK has ratified the Protocol to the Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. [121660]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 19 February 2007]: The indication in the consultation document, that the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography has been ratified, is inaccurate. As indicated in previous statements to Parliament, it is the intention of the Government to ratify the Optional Protocol and it is taking steps to commence the process of ratification as soon as possible.
Northern Ireland
Abortion
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how (a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public may submit comments on the draft guidelines on termination of pregnancy in Northern Ireland; and what changes the draft guidelines make to current practice. [119962]
Paul Goggins: The draft guidelines on termination of pregnancy are available on the Department of Health and Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) website. Hard copies were sent to interested parties for specific comment. There is no change in the law in NI and the document covers only the clinical aspects of this issue.
DHSSPS assessed current practice through a suite of questionnaires sent to consultant obstetricians, midwives, GPs and Health and Social Services Trust Chief Executives in Northern Ireland to establish the level and extent of pre and post-abortion services and to invite views on what should be included in the guidance. The draft guidelines cover arrangements for good practice and seek to provide clarity around the issues of informed consent, conscientious objection and mental health issues within the law in NI.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) Ministers and (b) officials were responsible for drafting the draft guidelines on termination of pregnancy in Northern Ireland; at what cost; whom they consulted; and which (i) organisations and (ii) individuals were asked to comment on the draft guidelines who are known to his Department to take (A) a pro-life and (B) a pro-choice view on abortion. [119963]
Paul Goggins: To develop guidance on termination of pregnancy in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health and Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) held a workshop in May 2005 to seek professional advice on areas and issues to be included in the guidelines. From this workshop, a working group was established to produce the draft guidelines. This group met in December 2005. Representatives were drawn from a wide range of professional and specialist backgrounds including nursing and midwifery, obstetrics and gynaecology, public health, psychiatry, clinical genetics, family planning doctors and general practitioners. The draft guidance produced by the group has been legally scrutinised by Senior Counsel on behalf of the Department. DHSSPS originally asked interested parties to send their comments to the Department by 16 March 2007, but given the level of correspondence and interest, this deadline is to be extended to 20 April 2007.
Bloody Sunday Inquiry
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the public inquiry led by Lord Saville into the events in Londonderry in January 1972 to announce its findings. [120876]
Mr. Hanson: The independent Bloody Sunday Inquiry has informed me that it is now engaged in compiling its final report, Due to the vast amount of evidence that must be considered this is a very time consuming process and it is difficult at this stage to be precise about when the report will be presented to the Secretary of State.
Departmental Expenditure
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on (a) new furnishings, (b) art and (c) new vehicles by (i) each Department in Northern Ireland and (ii) his Department in each of the last five years. [119345]
Mr. Hanson: The information requested is provided in the following table:
| £ | ||||||
| Fiscal years | ||||||
| Department | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006 to end January 2007 | |
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