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27 Feb 2007 : Column 1225W

Sentencing

Mr. Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times in the last 10 years he has written to members of the judiciary to remind them of sentencing guidelines. [121882]

Mr. Sutcliffe: It is for the Court of Appeal or the Sentencing Guidelines Council to issue guidance to courts about sentencing practice. Criminal Justice Ministers made a statement to the National Criminal Justice Board on 23 January 2007, which included a reference to the sentencing principles set out in legislation. The Senior Presiding Judge, who sits on the Board, agreed with the Lord Chief Justice that the statement should be drawn to the attention of all judges and magistrates as they took the view that it was helpful.

The Sentencing Guidelines Council was set up in March 2004 and we are not aware of previous communication to the judiciary about sentencing guidelines. But the statement to the National Criminal Justice Board is not unprecedented. For instance, a similar statement was issued in November 2002 by the then Home Secretary, Lord Chancellor and Attorney-General.

Mr. Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the proportion of cases where members of the judiciary did not follow sentencing guidelines in 2006-07 to date. [121883]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Monitoring of sentencing guidelines is primarily a matter for the Sentencing Guidelines Council. It is not possible to make an estimate of the proportion of cases where sentencing guidelines were not followed in individual sentencing decisions, particularly when there have so far been few offence specific sentencing guidelines published. The Sentencing Guidelines Council publishes information about sentencing trends and monitors decisions of the Court of Appeal for those cases where an appeal involves consideration of the application of a guideline.

Serious Organised Crime Agency

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the agreed policy on commenting on the operational deployment of Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) staff referred to in the answer of 4 September 2006, Official Report, column 1938W, on SOCA. [121073]

Mr. Coaker: There is no written statement of this policy.

Staff Intake

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of staff from under-represented groups were taken on by his Department in 2005-06; what proportion of the total number of staff places available this represented; and what proportion such members of staff were of the total number of candidates for the relevant vacancies. [115672]


27 Feb 2007 : Column 1226W

Mr. Byrne: 7,709 new staff were recruited to the Home Office in 2005-06. Of these 758 (10 per cent.) were minority ethnic and 106 (1.4 per cent.) were disabled. The Prison Service are unable to provide data for the total number of candidates for these posts. However for the remainder of the Home Office there were 16,752 applicants for 2,049 posts of which 2 per cent. were minority ethnic and 0.23 per cent. were disabled.

We do not have data for the sexual orientation or religion or belief of applicants.

Terrorism

Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government maintains a no-fly list for individuals suspected of terrorist activity; and if he will make a statement. [122273]

John Reid: The UK makes uses of a number of systems and procedures to provide protection against those involved in or suspected of being involved in terrorism, including those planning to travel by air. Due to the operational nature of these systems and processes it would not be appropriate for me to give specific details.

Theft: Drugs

Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of individuals convicted of robbery in 2006 were reported as having a drug problem. [121747]

Mr. Coaker: Information on the individual circumstances of offenders is not collected on the Court Proceedings Database held by the office for criminal Justice Reform.

Data on the number of convictions for robbery in England and Wales in 2006 will be available in November.

Vandalism: Public Houses

Mr. Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions were brought by the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to vandalism in public houses in each year since 1997. [122407]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform does not enable offences involving vandalism in public houses to be separately identified.

Witnesses: Protection

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms are in place to prevent prisoners sending threatening letters to the victims of their crimes. [122698]

Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 23 February 2007]: All prisoners’ correspondence is subject to monitoring and interception protocols laid out in the Prison Service’s national security framework, and may be stopped from leaving the prison. The level and frequency of such monitoring is proportionate to any risk identified.

Prisoners are generally not permitted to write to the victims of their offences without the authorisation of
27 Feb 2007 : Column 1227W
the governor. Letters which the governor deems may add to the distress or hurt of the victim or their family are withheld.

A confidential helpline operated by the National Offender Management Service is available for victims to report any unwanted contact from prisoners. Details can be found on the Prison Service website.

Young Offenders: Gloucestershire

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) under 12-year-olds, (b) 13-year-olds, (c) 14-year-olds, (d) 15-year-olds, (e) 16-year-olds and (f) 17-year-olds had criminal records in Gloucestershire in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [121991]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform for the number of juveniles (10 to 17) proceeded against at magistrates court and convicted at all courts for various offences in Gloucestershire police force area 1997-2005 can be found in the following tables.

Number of young persons aged 10 to 17 proceeded against magistrates court for various offences in Gloucestershire police force area, 1997 to 2005( 1, 2)
Age 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

10

(3)

10

(3)

1

(3)

2

2

(3)

1

11

6

8

13

5

6

6

9

5

5

12

33

13

22

33

21

43

23

11

28

13

67

55

29

34

59

46

69

57

62

14

104

100

78

82

88

88

100

99

118

15

174

184

156

154

169

156

152

165

225

16

246

232

297

285

284

283

238

234

283

17

467

444

405

444

518

403

450

379

423

Total

1,097

1,046

1,000

1,038

1,145

1,027

1,043

950

1,145

(1) These data are 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 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.
(3) Nil
Source:
RDS office for Criminal Justice Reform

Number of young persons aged 10 to 17 convicted at all courts for various offences in Gloucestershire police force area, 1997 to 2005( 1, 2)
Age 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

10

(3)

2

(3)

(3)

(3)

1

1

(3)

(3)

11

1

2

7

2

3

4

5

1

3

12

16

4

18

16

15

32

18

7

22

13

33

33

19

18

40

31

51

40

47

14

63

55

43

54

66

67

74

75

90

15

97

113

87

104

114

106

101

130

160

16

152

135

176

170

187

200

173

174

200

17

318

267

260

306

332

280

288

292

287

Total

680

611

610

670

757

721

711

719

809

(1) These data are 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 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.
(3) Nil
Source:
Source: RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform

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