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21 Jun 2007 : Column 2120W—continued

Statistics for 2006 will be published in the autumn.

Children: Abuse

Annette Brooke: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how much funding has been allocated to training for paediatricians giving testimony for the prosecution in child abuse cases for 2007-08. [140385]

Ms Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.

This information is not held centrally.

Coroners: Mesothelioma

Ms Keeble: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of procedures in coroner’s courts for dealing with deaths due to mesothelioma. [144027]

21 Jun 2007 : Column 2121W

Ms Harman: A coroner must hold an inquest into deaths which are reported to him which he has reasonable cause to suspect of being unnatural. This would usually include diseases contracted at work such as mesothelioma. Investigations into these kinds of deaths will continue in a reformed system, but will be governed by national standards set by a new chief coroner.

Ms Keeble: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what representations her Department has received on the conduct of inquests into deaths caused by mesothelioma; and if she will make a statement. [144028]

Ms Harman: I have received the report of the British Lung Foundation on the investigation of mesothelioma deaths. My officials attended the launch of the report and have met subsequently with representatives of the British Lung Foundation. The report’s recommendations will be taken into account as reform proposals are further developed.

Crown Courts: Prison Accommodation

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice whether all inmates detained in Crown court cells have been subject to the minimum standard of induction as required by Prison Service Order 0550; who was responsible for conducting the induction procedures; what level of training those responsible for the induction received; and if she will make a statement. [141668]

Mr. Hanson: Prison Service Order 0550 provides instructions and guidance on the induction process for prisoners on arrival at a prison establishment. As such it is not applicable to the exceptional use of court cells, which are used only as a measure of last resort if accommodation in prison and police cells is exhausted.

Prisoners who have not yet been held in a prison will undergo full reception and induction procedures at the prison to which they are allocated.

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice whether all inmates detained in Crown court cells have been subject to the minimum standard of health screening as required in prison service orders; who was responsible for conducting the health screening; what the minimum level of training is for those responsible for conducting the screening; and if she will make a statement. [141669]

Mr. Hanson: Arrangements are in place for prisoners held in court cells to be assessed by a qualified health care professional. Further health screening will take place on reception at the prison to which they are allocated.

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice whether each instance of accommodation provided for inmates in Crown court cells corresponds with the minimum standards as laid down in Prison Service Order 1900; and if she will make a statement. [141670]

Mr. Hanson: Prison Service Order 1900 provides guidance for the certification and use of prison accommodation and is not applicable to the use of
21 Jun 2007 : Column 2122W
court cells, which are used only as a measure of last resort if accommodation in prison and police cells is exhausted. Appropriate staffing levels and procedures are in place in order to ensure prisoners are held in safe and decent conditions.

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what level of supervision is provided to prisoners detained overnight in Crown court cells; and if she will make a statement. [141671]

Mr. Hanson: Staffing levels are determined on a site-by-site basis in order to ensure safety and decency, good order and control. In addition to an appropriate level of staff provided by the relevant prisoner escort contractor, there is prison service governor grade supervision.

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice who is responsible for the supervision of prisoners lodged overnight in Crown court cells; and if she will make a statement. [141672]

Mr. Hanson: It is a legal requirement for prisoners to be held in the custody under the authority and direction of a ‘constable.’ When court cells are in use, this role is discharged by a prison service governor grade.

Additional staffing of court cells is provided by the relevant prisoner escort contractor, following established operating procedures.

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many prisoners have been held overnight in Crown court cells since the beginning of 2007; and if she will make a statement. [141673]

Mr. Hanson: Since the beginning of 2007 current data show that court cells have been used on 561 occasions (as at 19 June 2007). One occasion means one prisoner night in a court cell.

Departments: Advertising

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice which (a) advertising agencies and (b) other organisations supplied consultancy services for advertising campaigns for (i) her Department and its predecessor and (ii) its agencies in each of the last five years; and what the cost of these services was. [139439]

Mr. Hanson: Since my Department, the Ministry of Justice, was established on 9 May 2007, it has not commissioned any consultancy services for advertising campaigns. Its predecessor Department, the Department for Constitutional Affairs, did not use consultancy services for advertising campaigns.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how much was spent on advertising by (a) the Department and (b) its agencies in each of the last five years. [139515]

Mr. Hanson: Since my Department, the Ministry of Justice, was established on 9 May 2007, the Department and its agencies have incurred no expenditure on advertising.

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Departments: Remploy

Danny Alexander: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what (a) services and (b) products her Department and its predecessor has procured from Remploy in the last 12 months; and at what cost. [143791]

Ms Harman: The Ministry of Justice was created on 9 May 2007, and my response relates to the former Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) and those bodies which were part of the Home Office and are now part of the Ministry of Justice.

DCA

In the financial year ending 31 March 2007, the DCA procured from Remploy: (a) ‘Book-binding’ services for Court Registers and Publications to the value of £8,635.70 and ‘Disability Training’ services to the value of £3,858.47. (b) The DCA has not purchased any of Remploys’ products. Total expenditure was £12,494.17.

Office for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR)

In the last 12 months, OCJR have not procured any services provided by Remploy, nor has it purchased any of their products.

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National Offender Management Service (NOMS)

In the last 12 months, NOMS have not procured any services provided by Remploy, nor has it purchased any of their products.

HM Prison Service (HMPS)

In the last 12 months, HMPS have not procured any services provided by Remploy, nor has it purchased any of their products.

Drink Driving

Mr. Vara: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Gordon (Malcolm Bruce) on 6 June 2007, Official Report, columns 592-600W, on driving under the influence, how many convictions there were in each police authority area in England and Wales for the offence of drink driving in each year between 1995 and 2001. [142732]

Mr. Hanson: Available information taken from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, from 1995 to 2001 is provided in the following table.

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21 Jun 2007 : Column 2126W

Findings of guilt at all courts for offences of driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs( 1 ) by police force area, England and Wales, 1995 to 2001
Number of offences
Police force area	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Avon and Somerset	2,432	2,512	2,812	2,566	2,728	2,462	2,197
Bedfordshire	1,001	1,093	1,146	1,060	869	797	914
Cambridgeshire	946	951	1,092	1,060	941	793	813
Cheshire	1,818	2,034	1,969	1,903	1,827	1,652	1,529
Cleveland	973	902	926	870	811	777	887
Cumbria	848	927	931	856	871	806	761
Derbyshire	1,462	1,595	1,612	1,547	1,463	1,417	1,411
Devon and Cornwall	2,170	2,144	2,342	2,265	2,277	2,199	2,369
Dorset	1,081	1,190	1,214	1,186	1,120	1,115	1,150
Durham	963	1,036	1,044	1,035	1,137	1,124	1,097
Essex	2,436	2,555	2,736	2,438	2,528	2,462	2,456
Gloucestershire	1,069	979	1,067	985	889	804	865
Greater Manchester	5,554	5,085	4,806	4,715	4,850	4,801	4,715
Hampshire	3,256	3,556	3,774	3,597	3,725	3,472	3,464
Hertfordshire	1,513	1,421	1,670	1,672	1,679	1,552	1,666
Humberside	1,247	1,353	1,274	1,358	1,323	1,371	1,259
Kent	2,395	2,576	2,321	2,627	2,633	2,592	2,575
Lancashire	2,828	3,211	3,389	2,945	3,010	2,584	2,304
Leicestershire	1,291	1,478	1,648	1,485	1,624	1,531	1,546
Lincolnshire	839	839	1,088	979	941	816	877
London, City of	358	464	436	301	236	162	162
Merseyside	2,616	2,746	2,719	2,451	2,137	2,128	2,195
Metropolitan Police	15,445	15,012	16,165	13,889	12,414	11,801	11,260
Norfolk	912	1,013	1,116	1,118	1,010	935	1,143
Northamptonshire(2)	879	927	1,107	1,062	1,058	782	399
Northumbria	2,206	2,414	2,625	2,457	2,463	2,621	2,529
North Yorkshire	1,247	1,311	1,365	1,205	1,124	1,073	1,066
Nottinghamshire	1,762	1,931	2,031	1,804	1,802	1,722	1,598
South Yorkshire	2,008	2,129	2,296	2,002	1,927	2,122	2,020
Staffordshire(3)	1,809	1,854	2,036	1,955	1,711	(4)—	1,513
Suffolk	985	1,066	1,050	1,042	1,089	902	920
Surrey	1,355	1,376	1,380	1,328	1,417	1,539	1,592
Sussex	2,098	2,200	2,373	2,113	2,224	2,112	2,358
Thames Valley	3,651	3,942	4,070	3,896	3,725	3,496	3,275
Warwickshire	854	907	837	784	856	786	880
West Mercia	1,943	1,930	1,947	1,794	1,747	1,631	1,740
West Midlands	5,655	5,880	6,351	5,582	4,775	4,559	4,914
West Yorkshire	3,902	4,102	3,953	3,669	3,597	3,375	3,220
Wiltshire	1,034	1,011	1,043	1,108	1,009	930	1,045
England	86,841	89,652	93,761	86,709	83,567	79,671	78,684
Dyfed Powys	932	993	1,029	995	944	858	867
Gwent	739	966	1,166	1,203	1,079	1,211	1,152
North Wales	1,366	1,363	1,354	1,306	1,248	1,332	1,227
South Wales	2,627	2,731	2,892	2,903	2,526	2,757	2,812
Wales	5,664	6,053	6,441	6,407	5,797	6,158	6,058
England and Wales	92,505	95,705	100,202	93,116	89,364	85,829	84,742
(1) Offences under the Road Traffic Act ss. 4 (1) & (2); 5 (1) and (b); 6 (4) and 7 (6). (2) In 2000 problems encountered with the electronic submission of data directly from the courts resulted in shortfalls in summary motoring offences for Northamptonshire from June onwards. This shortfall continued in 2001. (3) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at detailed level and have been excluded from the table. (4) Not available. Note: 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.

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