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14 May 2007 : Column 548W—continued
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will provide a substantive response to question 91073, tabled on 6 September 2006, on non-criminal prisoners detained under the Immigration Act 1971. [129684]
John Reid: My hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Sutcliffe) wrote to the hon. Member on 8 May 2007.
Metropolitan Police: Translation Services
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Metropolitan Police spent on translators in each of the last five years. [136406]
Mr. McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 March 2007, Official Report, column 672W, to my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham (Lyn Brown).
National Disabled Police Association
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Minister for Policing, Security and Community Safety has met representatives from the National Disabled Police Association to discuss their current funding arrangements. [133836]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 24 April 2007]: I have established a pattern of regular meetings with the National Disabled Police Association and other police associations. I last met NDPA representatives on 17 April 2007 and discussed arrangements for the funding of their organisation.
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans his Department has for levels of funding to the National Disabled Police Association; [133837]
(2) what funding his Department provided to the National Disabled Police Association in each of the last two financial years. [133838]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer s 24 April 2007]: The Home Office provided £10,000 in funding for 2005-06 and £37,000 in 2006-07. In addition, the Home Office has provided funding of £31,000 to the National Disabled Police Association (NDPA) for 2007-08 and has committed to providing the same amount for each of the next two years.
Police Manpower
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2007, Official Report, column 1082W, on police manpower, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in the numbers on the effectiveness of policing; and if he will make a statement. [134300]
Mr. McNulty: Effective policing is delivered by police officers, police staff and police community support officers. Decisions on their number in each force is a matter for the Chief Officer of Police. In December 2006 I suspended the system of financial penalties attached to the Crime Fighting Fund to provide greater flexibility for forces to plan their workforce. It is too early to assess the impact of this decision, but we are monitoring officer numbers on a quarterly basis and will intervene if there are genuine performance concerns that are clearly linked to a fall in officer numbers. In addition, the review of policing in England and Wales which the Home Secretary has asked Sir Ronnie Flanagan to carry out will consider the efficient and effective use of resources.
Police National Computer: Personal Records
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many records have been removed from the Police National Computer as exceptional cases at the discretion of senior police officers where the data subject had been wrongfully arrested; [128739]
(2) how many records were removed from the Police National Computer as exceptional cases at the discretion of senior police officers in each year since 2003. [128740]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 20 March 2007]: We only have records since the introduction of the Association of Chief Police Officers ‘Retention Guidelines for Nominal Records on the Police National Computer incorporating the Step Down Model’ which was published in March 2006.
In 2006—79 cases removed with another 46 cases in the process of removal.
In 2007—one case removed with 23 cases to be removed.
Police: EU Countries
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the meetings he has held with Ministers from other European Union countries on policing matters between 1 January and 31 March 2007. [133845]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 24 April 2007]: Home Office Ministers meet their EU counterparts on a regular basis at the Justice and Home Affairs Council. My hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, North (Joan Ryan) the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office attended the Informal Council in Dresden on 15-16 January and the formal Council in Brussels on 15-16 February. Policing matters were discussed at both.
During the period 1 January to 31 March 2007, the Home Secretary met the Irish Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr. McDowell and Vice President of the European Commission, Commissioner Frattini. Policing matters such as organised crime and the PrÃ1/4m information exchange system were discussed at both meetings. In addition, I visited Turkey to discuss organised crime in March.
Police: Finance
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on police funding in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) the East Midlands. [136638]
Mr. McNulty: Northamptonshire and all police authorities in the East Midlands are receiving their fair share of available funding.
This year Northamptonshire is receiving £71.7 million in general grants, an increase of 3.6 per cent. (£2.5 million) over the equivalent figure for 2006-07. This is in line with the broadly flat rate increase of 3.6 per cent. for all forces in England and Wales including the other forces in the East Midlands. In addition to general grant, Northamptonshire will continue to benefit from an estimated £10 million from a range of other funding.
Police: Heathrow Airport
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many armed police were asked to assist with the arrival of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Heathrow airport on 22 April; and what the cost was of their employment for this period. [136114]
Mr. McNulty: This is an operational matter for the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis.
Police: Training
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding is planned for police training in each of the next three financial years. [136301]
Mr. McNulty: Funding for Police Training is largely a matter for individual chief constables and police authorities. This is reviewed on an annual basis.
There are a number of centrally funded programmes which support national training priorities which are now the responsibility of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA).
The NPIA’s business plan contains a commitment to a major review of national training provision. The plan is available to download from www.npia.police.uk and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Police: Transport
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces provide subsidised public transport for their staff. [132312]
Mr. McNulty: The Home Office does not collect data on whether police forces providing subsidised public transport for their staff. This is a matter for the respective forces.
Police: Unmanned Air Vehicles
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has held with (a) ministerial colleagues, (b) representatives of industry and (c) police forces on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in tackling (i) crime and (ii) terrorism. [133846]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 24 April 2007]: The Home Office continues to monitor and explore the development of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology for a range of policing and security applications through the Home Office Scientific Development Branch and Home Office Aviation Advisor working in conjunction with Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Air Support Committee.
An area of overriding concern for UAV deployment is the safety of other aircraft and members of the public. These are such important issues that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) places substantial restrictions on when, where and how such aircraft might be deployed. Unfortunately, however attractive the UAV solution may appear at first sight the CAA/safety issues cannot be put aside.
Representatives of industry are being consulted and involved through groups such as the UAV Systems Association. These industry representatives are also working closely with CAA and other regulatory bodies
to ensure safety concerns are identified and addressed in opening up the potential future use by the police in UK civil airspace.
Prison Service: Corruption
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to strengthen the approach of HM Prison Service against staff corruption; how many full-time equivalent staff are engaged in activities against staff corruption inside HM Prison Service; what budget has been allocated to the (a) detection and (b) discipline of staff involved in staff corruption in HM Prison Service; who is responsible for the management of the effort against staff corruption in HM Prison Service; and if he will make a statement. [136120]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
There is an on going improvement plan to strengthen the approach to tackling corruption within the Prison Service. The matter of resources and staff has been addressed previously in my response to the hon. Gentleman on 1 March 2007, Official Report, columns 1518-19W and 2 May 2007, Official Report, column 1683W.
Corruption is tackled through the operational line, with policy being set by HMPS Security Group overseen by the Director of High Security
Prison Service: Termination of Employment
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many HM Prison Service staff were dismissed for suspected criminal activity at each prison establishment in each of the last five years; what proportion of these cases involved (a) police investigations and (b) prosecutions; and if he will make a statement. [136121]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
The public sector Prison Service does not currently hold the information centrally in the format requested. The contracted estate has been able to provide some information on the number of staff dismissed in the last five years, which is contained in the following table Further information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of HM Prison Service staff had their appeals against dismissal upheld by the Civil Service Appeals Board in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [136123]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
Information in the format requested is only available for the last two years and is shown in the following table. Further information is not collated centrally and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
| Table: Number of appeals by HM Prison Service staff considered and upheld by the Civil Service Appeal Board in the last two years | ||
| Total number of appeals considered | Number upheld | |
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