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6 Mar 2007 : Column 1910W—continued


Crime: Durham

Dr. Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of (a) offences against the person, (b) sexual offences, (c) robbery, (d) burglary, (e) theft, (f) fraud, (g) drug
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offences and (h) motoring offences have been recorded in the past 12 months in County Durham; and how many were recorded in 1997. [123654]

Mr. Coaker: The recorded crime figures for (a) offences against the person, (b) sexual offences, (c) robbery, (d) burglary, (e) theft, (f) fraud, (g) drug offences, for the Durham police force area are given in the table for 1997 and 2005-06.

Motoring offences are recorded in a separate collection. The latest available numbers of motoring offences dealt with by official police action within the Durham police force area are for 2004 and are given in the table together with figures for 1997.

Table 1: Recorded crime for Durham police force area 1997 and 2005-06( 1,2)
Offence 1997( 3) 2005-06

Violence against the person

1,924

9,899

Sexual offences

341

694

Robbery

142

281

Burglary

12,209

6,660

Theft and handling stolen goods

20,624

15,872

Fraud and forgery

1,163

1,229

Drug offences(4)

404

1,299

(1) These figures have been taken from the Supplementary Tables for England and Wales 1997 and HOSB Crime In England and Wales 2005-06.
(2) Numbers of recorded crimes will be affected by changes in reporting and recording. On 1 April 1998 an expanded offence coverage and revised set of counting rules came into effect. This was followed by the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in April 2002. Due to these changes, figures recorded before and after these dates are not directly comparable.
(3) Crime statistics were recorded on a calendar year basis up to 1997 and thereafter on a financial year basis.
(4) Up until 1997-98, the only drug offence recorded was ‘Trafficking in controlled drugs’. As from April 1998, drug offences were expanded to included ‘Possession of controlled drugs’ and ‘Other drug offences’. For this reason, figures recorded before and after this date are not directly comparable.

Table 2: Motoring offences for Durham police force area, 1997 and 2004( 1)
Offence dealt with by: 1997 2004( 2)

Written warning

1,299

828

Vehicle defect rectification scheme notices

4,365

3,600

Fixed penalty notices

21,308

12,789

Court proceedings

11,980

19,215

(1) These figures have been taken from the annual Home Office publication ‘Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales Supplementary tables 2004 and 1997’—Tables 18,19, 20(a) and 16(a).
(2) Latest available data.
Notes:
1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. Work is under way to ensure that the magistrates courts case management system currently being implemented by the Department for Constitutional Affairs reports all motoring offences to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. This will enable more complete figures to be disseminated.
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.

Crime: Victims

Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of victims of crime were referred to Victim Support by police in each of the last five years. [121915]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The information requested is in the following tables:


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Table A
Total number of referrals to Victim Support in four crime types Referrals from the police as a percentage of the total referrals in the four crime types

2001-02

970,577

90

2002-03

1,104,624

90

2003-04

1,044,174

91


From 2004-05 Victim Support have supplied OCJR with data on all referrals from the police. Table B shows the total number of victims of crime referred to victim support between 2001-02 and 2005-06 and the percentage of referrals, in all crime types, that came from the police.

Table B
Total number of all referrals to Victim Support Referrals from the police as a percentage of the total referrals

2001-02

1,257,085

(1)

2002-03

1,404,130

(1)

2003-04

1,359,150

(1)

2004-05

1,282,223

91

2005-06

1,386,915

90

(1) Data not available.

Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented in this response are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from Victim Support's own data return. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.

Dispersal Orders: Lancashire

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dispersal orders were issued in Lancashire in each of the last three years. [124955]

Mr. Coaker: Between January 2004 and December 2006 there were 20 dispersal zones reported to the Home Office by Lancashire constabulary. 18 were reported before April 2006 and two since.

Driving Offences: Accidents

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were convicted (a) for the offence of failing to give particulars or to report an accident within 24 hours, (b) of undefined accident offences and (c) for the offence of failing to stop after an accident in each of the last 10 years. [125030]

Mr. Coaker: Available information taken from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, and given in the table, shows the number of defendants convicted for offences under section 170(4) and (7) of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Information on 'undefined accident offences' is not held.


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Number of persons convicted( 1) at all courts for accident offences( 2, 3,) England and Wales, 1996-2005
Offence
Failing to report an accident within 24 hours( 2) Failing to stop after an accident( 3)

1996

1,545

4,842

1997

1,557

4,817

1998

1,529

4,509

1999

1,429

4,323

2000

1,291

4,152

2001

1,362

4,332

2002

1,343

4,248

2003

1,393

4,444

2004

1,426

4,549

2005

1,308

4,307

(1 )These data are on the principal offence basis. (2 )Offences under the RTA88 s. 170(4) and (7). (3) Offences under the RTA88 s. 170(4). Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. Work is under way to ensure that the magistrates courts case management system currently being implemented by the Department for Constitutional Affairs reports all motoring offences to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. This will enable more complete figures to be disseminated. 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 these data are used.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had on the processes for assessing applications for student visas; and if he will make a statement. [122727]

Mr. Byrne [holding answer 26 February 2007]: Processes are the responsibility of the operational directorates within the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) and performance is kept under regular review by Ministers. Policy governing student routes is reviewed on a regular basis and Parliament is regularly updated with any proposed changes.

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms exist to ensure that those who are in receipt of student visas attend the courses on which they are enrolled; and if he will make a statement. [122728]

Mr. Byrne [holding answer 26 February 2007]: One of the provisions of the student rules is that a student needs to provide an offer letter from an institution on the DfES register before a visa may be issued.

If a student fails to attend, the institution can provide details to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. This is a voluntary scheme.

When a student applies for an extension to their leave the application form requires the institution to provide written confirmation of the student’s attendance.

Under the points based system there will be a clearer link between the student’s leave and the institution. There will also be a mandatory requirement on institutions to report non-attendance of their students.


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Feltham Young Offender Institution and Remand Centre: Risk Assessment

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether risk management of filming in custody environments is covered by the local security strategy at HM Young Offender Institution Feltham; whether management at the establishment during the key compromise situation on 29 June ensured full compliance by staff with (a) the risk assessment and (b) the security strategy; and if he will make a statement. [125880]

Mr. Sutcliffe: This matter is the subject of litigation. It would not be appropriate to comment further.

Firearms

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he has given to chief constables of police authorities on the (a) registration, (b) storage and (c) disposal of firearms seized during police operations. [123603]

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 26 February 2007]: Minimum standards of investigation are contained in the Gun Crime Investigative Guidance manual of good practice published jointly by the ACPO Criminal Use of Firearms Group and the Home Office. This provides detailed guidance on the recovery of firearms, including health and safety issues, the packaging, storage and exploitation of the results of forensic and ballistic examination, and the prevention of the contamination of evidence. Disposal is a matter dealt with by individual force policy and procedures, dependent on the circumstances of each case and whether or not criminal proceedings are involved.

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many rounds of ammunition collected during the 2003 gun amnesty have been successfully disposed of. [123604]

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 26 February 2007]: During the firearms amnesty in 2003, over one million rounds of ammunition were handed in to police in England and Wales.

The Home Office issued guidance to forces on the destruction of items handed in during the amnesty. The guidance advised forces that all firearms and ammunition should be destroyed in accordance with current force policy, other than those items considered to be of exceptional historic or forensic significance (as advised by the Forensic Science Service (FSS)), or items believed to have been used in crime and, after examination by the FSS, retained as part of an ongoing investigation.

Firearms: Crime

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department following the case of Campbell, reference 2006 EWCA Crim 726, numbered
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200505869/A1 in the Court of Appeal, 9 March 2006, in relation to a person aged 18, 19 or 20 years convicted of a relevant firearms offence, whether the court is obliged under s51A(4)(a)(i) to impose a sentence of imprisonment of five years; whether such a sentence is prohibited by 589(1) of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000; when he intends to bring in section 61 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [124489]

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 1 March 2007]: It was announced on 22 February that an order would be laid to amend section 51A of the Firearms Act 1968 to ensure that 18 to 20-year-olds are subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of a prohibited firearm.

Section 61 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 abolishes the sentence of detention in a young offender institution. Policy on young adult offenders in custody is currently under review. A variety of stakeholders have been and are being consulted. No decision has yet been taken on the way forward, but we hope to announce our plans in the reasonably near future.

In addition, we also announced on 22 February during the Prime Minister's summit on gun crime and gangs that we would conduct a review of legislation in relation to gangs; this will include sentencing issues relating to young offenders.


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