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12 Mar 2007 : Column 102W—continued


Crime: Bedfordshire

Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal offences in Bedfordshire resulted in the conviction of the offender in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [124512]

Mr. McNulty: Information from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform showing the number of defendants found guilty at all courts for all offences in Bedfordshire police force area for the years requested is provided in the table.

Data for 2006 will be available in the autumn.


12 Mar 2007 : Column 103W
Number of defendants found guilty for all offences in Bedfordshire police force area, 1997-2005( 1,2)
Found guilty

1997

15,020

1998

16,215

1999

12,926

2000

13,000

2001

12,205

2002

12,901

2003

15,342

2004

14,037

2005

17,321

(1) These data are provided 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.

Departments: Visits Abroad

Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total expenditure for visits, other activities and commitments outside the UK undertaken by his Department’s Ministers and officials was in each of the last three years. [123682]

Mr. Byrne: The Department’s expenditure on foreign travel and accommodation in each of the last three years was:

£
Travel Accommodation Total

2003-04

4,447,233

4,447,233

2004-05

5,472,578

6,583,194

12,055,772

2005-06

6,881,152

3,775,458

10,656,610


Separate records were not kept of foreign accommodation costs in 2003-04 and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The difference in costs over the period reflects the changing nature of the Home Office’s business, in particular the growth of international terrorism, migration and international travel. Collaboration and information exchange with other countries on counter-terrorism activities and border control have become increasingly critical to the effective discharge of the Department’s responsibilities for asylum, immigration and national security. This has involved higher levels of overseas travel.

For ministerial foreign travel, which is included in the above, I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given by the Prime Minister on 19 December 2006, Official Report, column 1808W.

The Department incurs additional expenditure outside the UK, in connection with border control, international crime and anti-terrorism responsibilities. Details of this expenditure could only be identified from within records of total operational spend at disproportionate cost.

Drugs: Money Laundering

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2007, Official Report, column 1748W, on drugs: money laundering, what correspondence his Department has received from Michael A. Braun on the Serious Organised Crime Agency and Operation White Dollar; and if he will make a statement. [126751]

Mr. Coaker: None.


12 Mar 2007 : Column 104W

Entry Clearances

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Mohammed Reza, Home Office reference R1040509, a constituent of the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, will receive a response to his application for indefinite leave to remain submitted in December 2005. [124765]

Mr. Byrne: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 5 March 2007.

Foreign National Prisoners

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007, Official Report, column 106W, on foreign national prisoners, on how many of the foreign prisoners released from HMP Peterborough in the 12 months to 31 March 2006 who were eligible for deportation, the immigration and nationality directorate keeps electronic records; and if he will make a statement; [125273]

(2) what estimate he has made of the cost of providing information on offences committed by foreign national prisoners discharged from HMP Peterborough in the 12 months to 31 March 2006; and if he will make a statement. [125274]

Mr. Byrne [holding answers 5 March 2007]: The immigration and nationality directorate holds electronic records of all foreign national prisoners who have been notified to IND for consideration of deportation. However, historic data are drawn from a number of manual and electronic sources.

Prisons keep records of foreign nationals released from or transferred across the prison estate. This record does not record the offences committed by individual prisoners. Manually identifying and cross- referencing IND and prison records to provide information on the foreign national prisoners released from HMP Peterborough could be done only at disproportionate cost.

The Home Secretary has identified that there is no unique identifier to link individuals who come into contact with the asylum and immigration and criminal justice systems. We have therefore commenced development of a comprehensive approach to identity management across all Home Office areas.

Heroin

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the possible effects of the prescription of heroin to long-term addicts on the NHS on the levels of crime. [126601]

Mr. Coaker: It is not possible currently to estimate the likely effect on crime of heroin prescription to long- term addicts. The current evidence base indicates that heroin prescribing is only suitable in a small number of cases. In the vast majority of cases, it is not a safer or a more effective option than methadone prescribing.


12 Mar 2007 : Column 105W

The National Treatment Outcome Research Study (NTORS), the most important UK research on drug treatment, showed that for every £1 spent on treatment, at least £9.50 is saved, mainly in the costs of reduced crime. Thus there are clear economic benefits to treating drug misusers. However, this study provided no information of the relative impact of different types of treatment.

Research is under way to build our knowledge in this area. The Home Office has commissioned the Drug Treatment Outcomes Research Study (DTORS) which will evaluate the impact of current drug treatment services on drug and alcohol use, offending, and health and social outcomes. Additionally, Government-funded projects to enhance the evidence base for the clinical use of heroin in drug treatment are currently under way.

Identity Card Scheme

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what progress has been made in tendering the contracts for the (a) refurbishment and (b) construction of the regional offices required to administer the national identity card scheme; [113898]

(2) what the locations are of the regional offices required to administer the national identity card scheme. [113899]

Joan Ryan: The Identity and Passport Service currently has no plans to set up further regional offices in addition to the current seven regional passport offices, in London, Newport, Peterborough, Glasgow, Durham, Liverpool and Belfast. An expanded local office network is already being put in place in order to meet and interview first-time applicants for passports and to prepare for recording biometrics. This office network consists of 69 offices throughout the UK, in the following proposed locations:

The network will be supplemented by remote interview sites for remote communities, where applicants will conduct their interview by video conferencing. The contract for this office network was awarded in early 2006 to Mapeley, and the offices are currently being leased and fitted out for use by IPS.

These offices will open in 2007 and the network will subsequently be used for the National Identity Scheme. Where the network of enrolment centres needs to be further expanded, we will first seek to use high street offices that are already used by central and local government. We will also look at options for the private sector providing outlets and any contracts will be tendered as appropriate.


12 Mar 2007 : Column 106W

Kennett Prison: Manpower

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers have been recruited to work at the new prison HMP Kennett in Merseyside. [124410]

John Reid: So far, 30 prison officers have been recruited to work at Kennet prison. Further recruitment is under way.

Migration: Languages

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the compatibility of compulsory English language requirements for migrants with European Union law. [124402]

Mr. Byrne: We are satisfied that the arrangements for requiring applicants for permanent settlement and naturalisation to demonstrate a knowledge of English are fully compatible with European law. The integration of migrants is a matter for member states’ competence.

Offenders: Learning Disability

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prisoners in Lancashire have learning difficulties. [125754]

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.

The information requested is not available centrally. However, a project undertaken by the Dyslexia Institute in Yorkshire and Humberside looked at the incidence of dyslexia and related learning disabilities among the prison population. The findings suggested that 20 per cent. of the prison population have some form of unseen (hidden) disability which will affect and undermine their performance in both education and work settings. A further 32 per cent. of the sample who were given an in-depth assessment had literacy difficulties but did not show positive evidence of the characteristics of dyslexia, dyspraxia or other unseen disabilities.

Office of Surveillance Commissioners

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which public authorities the Office of the Surveillance Commissioners inspects and monitors in respect of (a) property interference, (b) intrusive surveillance, (c) directed surveillance and (d) using covert human intelligence sources. [125639]

Mr. McNulty: The public authorities liable to oversight by the Office of Surveillance Commissioners are, in respect of property interference, those authorities with which the authorising officers described in section 93(5) of the Police Act 1997 (as amended) hold positions; in respect of intrusive surveillance, those authorities with which the authorising officers described in section 32(6) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) (as amended) hold positions; in respect of directed surveillance, those public authorities listed in Schedule
12 Mar 2007 : Column 107W
1 of RIPA (as amended) and in respect of using covert human intelligence sources, those public authorities listed in Part 1 of Schedule 1 of RIPA (as amended).

Police Custody: West Ham

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of custody space at police stations in West Ham constituency. [125221]

Mr. McNulty: The provision of custody accommodation in West Ham is a matter for the Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police.

Police: Hospitals

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there are on duty in hospitals in Lancashire (a) during the day and (b) at night. [124975]

Mr. McNulty: This is an operational matter for the chief constable.

Prison Service: Manpower

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers were employed in each prison by HM Prison Service on 31 December (a) 2005 and (b) 2006; and what the planned number of officers was in each case. [124826]

John Reid: Information on the number of prison officers, senior officers and principal officers employed and the operational staffing requirement for every Prison Service establishment on 31 December 2005 and 2006 are contained in the following tables.


12 Mar 2007 : Column 108W

12 Mar 2007 : Column 109W

12 Mar 2007 : Column 110W
Number of prison officers, senior officers and principal officers employed and the operational staffing requirement for every Prison Service establishment on 31 December 2005 and 2006
31 December 2005 31 December 2006
Public sector establishments Full-time equivalent staff in post Operational staffing requirement Full-time equivalent staff in post Operational staffing requirement

Acklington

218

219

220

222

Albany

148

147

141

145

Ashwell

110

108

102

111

Askham Grange

30

30.6

29

30

Aylesbury

184

192

187

187

Bedford

144

149

140

153

Belmarsh

503

554

506

563

Birmingham

519

531

524

532

Blakenhurst

255

260

255

261

Blantyre House

32

33

31

33

Blundeston

148

150

147

148

Brinsford

235

240

226

238

Bristol

259

276

230

246

Brixton

242

243

221

243

Brockhill

98

96

75

82

Buckley Hall

113

118

105

103

Bullingdon

245

253

240

249

Bullwood Hall

79

90

73

83

Camp Hill

157

155

151

157

Canterbury

104

100

100

103

Cardiff

250

251

243

251

Castington

220

222

217

223

Channings Wood

170

165

161

162

Chelmsford

189

195

209

240

Coldingley

91

95

91

98

Cookham Wood/East Sutton Park

111

115

107

111

Dartmoor

167

166

159

167

Deerbolt

177

183

183

187

Dorchester

110

108

103

108

Dover

105

110

126

132

Downview

133

142

129

137

Drake Hall

90

89

82

86

Durham

311

311

317

330

Eastwood Park

144

154

148

153

Edmunds Hill

123

132

129

132

Elmley

259

257

212

205

Erlestoke

112

120

111

119

Everthorpe

166

157

172

172

Exeter

191

183

183

181

Featherstone

141

145

138

146

Feltham

427

446

418

439

Ford

62

64

63

66

Foston Hall

109

111

132

151

Frankland

583

596

557

602

Full Sutton

483

481

466

483

Garth

230

224

231

222

Gartree

182

191

206

216

Glen Parva

263

270

260

266

Gloucester

121

123

119

123

Grendon

159

162

148

161

Guys Marsh

131

142

136

141

Haslar

50

53

53

55

Haverigg

137

138

127

134

Hewell Grange

29

29

28

28

High Down

223

233

217

218

Highpoint

192

194

185

192

Hindley

223

236

217

226

Hollesley Bay

49

50

52

53

Holloway

281

276

261

275

Holme House

306

311

305

307

Hull

324

327

322

325

Huntercombe

167

169

161

168

Kingston

72

72

74

75

Kirkham

97

98

97

100

Kirklevington Grange

45

45

45

45

Lancaster

87

86

87

89

Lancaster Farms

243

248

247

245

Latchmere House

36

36

36

36

Leeds

407

406

397

403

Leicester

129

141

128

141

Lewes

168

167.5

160

168

Leyhill

71

72

69

74

Lincoln

199

195

189

195

Lindholme

216

218

225

226

Littlehey

157

162

158

160

Liverpool

439

432

419

430

Long Lartin

363

365

370

373

Low Newton

144

149

156

153

Maidstone

151

154

148

159

Manchester

495

516

494

524

Moorland

328

315

326

316

Morton Hall

113

117

115

117

New Hall

215

211

220

216

North Sea Camp

53

52

56

58

Northallerton

61

67

64

67

Norwich

236

238

221

236

Nottingham

212

223

214

228

Onley

189

215

185

211

Parkhurst

187

193

180

185

Pentonville

382

380

391

386

Portland

178

169

185

189

Preston

236

230

249

253

Ranby

279

276

261

272

Reading

117

121

114

117

Risley

285

294

282

293

Rochester

139

140

140

143

Send

81

81

76

83

Shepton Mallet

63

64

62

63

Shrewsbury

114

115

107

115

Stafford

162

153

156

160

Standford Hill

82

82

62

61

Stocken

151

155

149

156

Stoke Heath

247

249

230

243

Styal

187

186

187

190

Sudbury

66

68

68

67

Swaleside

248

251

213

207

Swansea

154

155

153

151

Swinfen Hall

202

212

206

210

The Mount

150

166

154

166

The Verne

116

107

103

107

Thorn Cross

114

114

121

127

Usk/Prescoed

94

90

93

91

Wakefield

404

377

408

443

Wandsworth

395

405

386

404

Warren Hill

152

152

147

151

Wayland

148

157

150

150

Wealstun

198

191

194

194

Weare

29

15

Closed

Closed

Wellingborough

179

181

176

179

Werrington

84

84

82

89

Wetherby

166

178

172

177

Whatton

146

165

198

202

Whitemoor

455

513

467

479

Winchester

214

211

206

214

Woodhill

442

459

433

463

Wormwood Scrubs

323

323

313

321

Wymott

256

260

243

257

Sheppey reducing reoffending (clustered services)

117

146


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