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4 July 2007 : Column 1050W—continued



4 July 2007 : Column 1051W

4 July 2007 : Column 1052W
Found guilty
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Racially or religiously aggravated offences of:

Less serious wounding

1

Harassment

10

10

12

11

20

16

28

Common assault

1

5

7

4

8

Criminal damage to a dwelling

Criminal damage to a building other than a dwelling

Criminal damage to a vehicle

Other criminal damage

1

2

1

2

1

(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 police forces and courts. 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.

Road Traffic Act 1988: Powers

Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is given by her Department to police forces on the exercise of the powers contained in section 165A of the Road Traffic Act 1988. [147401]

Mr. Coaker: The addition of section 165A to the Road Traffic Act 1988 was one of a number of roads policing measures included in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. Information on all these measures and the powers they confer was given to chief officers of police at the time and has been supplemented subsequently by responses to individual enquiries. How the powers are exercised is an operational matter for individual chief officers and any guidance that might be issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Theft: Bicycles

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were (a) prosecuted and (b) sentenced for bicycle thefts in London in each of the last five years. [146974]

Mr. Coaker: The information requested is set out in the following table.

Number of persons prosecuted at magistrates courts and sentenced at all courts for bicycle theft, in Greater London , 2001 - 05( 1, 2)
Proceeded against Sentenced

2001

143

90

2002

151

106

2003

127

84

2004

132

96

2005

159

121

(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.

War Criminals

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2007, Official Report, column 144W, on war criminals, (1) whether the police have contacted Vladimir Aleksandrovich Titov (State Counsel of Justice, 2nd Class, Chief of Administration of Surveillance for the Implementation of Laws concerning Federal Security) at the Office of the Procurator General of the Russian Federation, 2nd Tekhnicheskii Pereulok, Moscow, 103793, Russian Federation; and if he will make a statement; [146666]

(2) on war criminals, why bilateral discussions have not taken place with Leitender Oberstaatsanwalt Kurt Schrimm (Director), Zentrale Stelle der Landesjustizverwaltungen zur Aufklärung von NS-Verbrechen, Schorndorfer Str. 58, 71638 Ludwigsburg (Federal Republic of Germany). [146669]

Meg Hillier: I understand that the police are aware of these potential sources of information on Nazi war crimes but, in the absence of specific allegations against any named individual in the UK, the police do not have any immediate plans to contact them.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2007, Official Report, column 146W, on war criminals, whether progress has been made with the request for information about the withdrawal of German pensions from residents following the German War Victims Relief Act from Herrn Dr. Eckhard Assman, Bundesministerium fĂ1/4r Arbeit und Soziales. [146681]

Meg Hillier: I understand that the Metropolitan Police have still to receive any indication that the German authorities have withdrawn a pension from anyone resident in the UK because of involvement in war crimes during the Second World War.

Northern Ireland

Autism: Judiciary

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to raise the level of autism awareness among the (a) Northern Ireland Prison Service, (b) Police Service of Northern Ireland, (c) Juvenile Justice Centre and (d) Public Prosecution Service staff. [146735]

Paul Goggins: As regards the Prison Service, when individual prisoners are identified as suffering from autistic spectrum disorders healthcare staff will engage with other relevant staff, including safer custody group and residential staff, to provide information about autism and offer guidance on assisting and managing the prisoner. Such prisoners will also be supported by education and psychology staff.


4 July 2007 : Column 1053W

The PSNI has a number of initiatives to raise awareness including:

The Juvenile Justice centre runs regular awareness raising sessions in relation to young people who are on the autism spectrum. These are run in conjunction with Autism NT.

The Public Prosecution Service has limited interaction with the general public and therefore has no specific training intervention.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has assessed the partnership between Dyfed Powys Police, North Wales Police and Autism Cymru to develop an assessment of the needs of people with autistic spectrum disorders; and if he will introduce a similar scheme in Northern Ireland. [146741]

Paul Goggins: PSNI has not been in direct liaison with the Welsh Police authorities on the subject of autistic spectrum disorders. Ongoing efforts are, however, being made to meet the needs of those affected by this condition. Specifically, PSNI has been working with the promoter of the autistic spectrum disorder identity card, developing an on-line programme to raise awareness among officers across the organisation as to what this card represents and how to proceed when it is shown to them. The Police Service remains committed to meeting the needs of those affected by autism and related conditions, and will put in place farther measures as and when required.

Customs Officers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many uniformed HM Revenue and Customs officers are deployed in a full-time capacity in Northern Ireland, excluding intelligence and investigation officers, working on (a) fuel smuggling, (b) tobacco goods and (c) road fuel offences. [146940]

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.

There are 85 uniformed multi-functional HMRC officers deployed in Northern Ireland to meet the full range of HMRC enforcement duties including tackling fuel smuggling, tobacco smuggling and road fuel offences. They are regularly augmented by additional deployments of uniformed HMRC teams from other parts of the UK according to the assessed risk.

Departments: Pay

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many non-pensionable bonuses were awarded to members of staff in his Department in the last three years; and at what total cost. [146982]


4 July 2007 : Column 1054W

Paul Goggins: In respect of the 2003-04 reporting year, 1,670 staff received a bonus, at a total cost of £475,080;

In respect of the 2004-05 reporting year, 1,731 staff received a bonus, at a total cost of £629,742,

In respect of the 2005-06 reporting year, 1,024 staff received a bonus, at a total cost of £686,425.

Ports

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vessels from (a) EU states and (b) non-EU were searched by HM Revenue and Customs in Northern Ireland ports in each of the last two years. [146942]

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.

The number of vessels searched by HMRC in Northern Ireland in each of the last two years is two in the year ended 31 March 2006, and one in the year ended 31 March 2007. These vessels were all from non-EU states.

Public Expenditure

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2007, Official Report, column 1263W, what the outcome was of his discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding programmes for Northern Ireland. [146605]

Mr. Woodward: My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has made available over £51 billion extra spending for Northern Ireland for the next four years to meet the economic and political priorities of an incoming Northern Ireland Executive.

Full details of the financial package were announced by the Chancellor in his statement to Parliament on 8 May 2007, Official Report, column 2WS.

Smuggling: Fuels

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vehicles were detected smuggling fuel into Northern Ireland in each of the last three years. [146943]

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.

The number of vehicles detected smuggling fuel into Northern Ireland for each of the last three years was:

As at 31 March each year Number

2005

108

2006

67

2007

37


David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what total quantity of fuel being smuggled into Northern Ireland was seized in each of the last three years. [146944]

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.


4 July 2007 : Column 1055W

The total quantity of fuel smuggled into Northern Ireland and seized for each of the last three years is as follows:

As at 31 March each year Litres

2005

301,020

2006

297,260

2007

240,600


David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what volume of fuel being smuggled from Northern Ireland to (a) the Republic of Ireland and (b) mainland Great Britain was seized in each of the last three years. [146946]

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.

The information requested is as follows.


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