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12 July 2007 : Column 1594W—continued
Drugs: Misuse
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to combat illegal drug use in Northern Ireland. [148060]
Paul Goggins: Illegal drug use in Northern Ireland is being addressed on a number of fronts. The New Strategic Direction for Alcohol and Drugs (2006-11) provided an overarching strategy. In parallel, PSNI and other law enforcement agencies in Northern Ireland are delivering significant results at an operational level. Last year, in addition to seizing over £22 million of drugs, the number of arrests for drug offences rose by almost 20 per cent. from 1,419 to 1,726.
Through the Organised Task Force, the PSNI work closely with HMRC and SOCA on an international and national basis to tackle the menace of drugs. In addition, the Assets Recovery Agency have successfully frozen assets believed to have been obtained through profit from drug dealing. Excellent cross border relations exist on this issue with An Garda Siochana.
Tackling drug misuse continues to be a priority. The Criminal Justice Directorate of the Northern Ireland Office and the NI Prison Service fund a range of statutory and voluntary sector organisations to deliver drug treatment services to offenders.
Police: Crimes Against the Person
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what recent measures have been put in place to protect police officers from assault; [148056]
(2) how many incidents of assault or abuse of police officers were reported in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; how many such incidents involved the use of knives; and what steps are being taken to reduce such incidents. [148059]
Paul Goggins: The safety of police officers is a primary consideration for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
Measures to protect police officers from assault form part of the ongoing development of equipment and tactics undertaken by the PSN1 in consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Home Office.
Operational officers receive personal safety training on a regular basis, the content of which reflects their role and this training is reviewed in line with both local and national trends. Recent developments include training in the skills required for single officer patrolling.
Officer personal safety training includes tactics in the early resolution of conflict through effective verbal communication, the use of unarmed skills, batons, incapacitant spray and handcuffs, all of which assist in improving officer safety when policing violent or potentially violent situations.
Officers are issued with dual-purpose body armour, commonly referred to as stab vests, and a training package, designed to protect officers from an attacker in possession of an edged weapon, is being delivered to operational officers throughout the PSNI.
The PSNI have provided the following data relating to the number of such offences where the victim is a member of the Police Service.
| Offences against the person where the victim is a member of the Police Service | |||||
| 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Notes: 1. The figures relate to offences where the victim is described as a member of the Police Service; they do not specifically relate to police officers on duty. They include abuse of a verbal nature where this is deemed serious enough to constitute a criminal offence. Obstructing and resisting police offences are excluded from the figures as from 1 April 2003, they are no longer counted within the recorded crime series. 2. Please note that these figures are based on operational police data and as such are provisional and may be subject to revision. | |||||
Prisoners: Mentally Ill
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to improve the facilities in prisons for prisoners with mental health problems. [148063]
Paul Goggins: The nature of mental disorder experienced by prisoners varies considerably from mild anxiety to severe psychiatric disorders. As in the community, prisoners are encouraged to take as much control as possible over their own care and in the main, prisoners will remain in normal location and be treated and supported by healthcare professionals including psychiatrists and mental health trained nurses. Prisoners who are diagnosed with a severe psychiatric disorder will be transferred to hospital under the provisions of the Mental Health (NI) Order 1986.
A small number of in-patient places are available within the healthcare unit in Maghaberry Prison for those who require assessment, stabilisation or who are awaiting transfer to hospital. A small residential unit has recently been opened in Maghaberry for prisoners with complex needs, including personality disorders. Furthermore, consideration is being given to the possibility of developing a therapeutic unit for prisoners with addiction problems.
It is planned that the lead responsibility for the provision of healthcare services to prisoners will transfer to the health service in October 2007. The provision of mental health services has been recognised as a priority issue and if the new arrangements identify the need for improvements to facilities for prisoners with mental health disorders, where possible, steps will be taken to introduce the improvements.
Rape
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what resources his Department has made available for the education of women on how to protect themselves from rape. [148061]
Paul Goggins:
The Northern Ireland Office is playing a supporting role in an initiative led by the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety to combat
sexual violence. The Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety is leading the prevention and support aspect of the initiative, which involves measures to better enable women to protect themselves from rape.
In addition PSNI is also committed to adopting a pro-active multi-agency approach to tackling sexual violence, and to making resources available wherever possible. PSNI is currently working in partnership with Women’s Aid, Northern Ireland to enhance the education of women in how to protect themselves from sexual assault.
It has long been recognised that serious sexual offences are often part of domestic violence, either against a current or previous intimate partner. Police officers attend various Women’s Aid, Community-based advocacy and outreach services providing practical advice and support to those present regarding personal safety.
Also, given the number of licensed premises across Northern Ireland, particularly in city centres, and with alcohol misuse contributing at times to incidents of sexual assault, various initiatives such as the ‘Get Home Safe’ campaign, the issuing of personal alarms in certain areas, and the ongoing advice provided by PSNI Crime Prevention Officers have all contributed to educating women in relation to their personal safety.
Defence
Armed Forces: Deployment
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the (a) Armed Forces, (b) Army, (c) Royal Navy and (d) RAF (i) were deployed on operations in 1997 and (ii) are deployed on operations currently. [148236]
Des Browne: Comparable figures are not available for 1997.
The percentage of Personnel deployed on Operations by Service as at 1 May 2007 is in the following table.
| Percentage deployed | |
| Provisional figures( 1) | |
| (1 )Due to the introduction of a new joint personnel administration system (JPA) Naval Service and RAF trained strength data at 1 May 2007 are provisional and subject to review and Army data for 1 April and 1 May 2007 are not currently available. | |
Strength figures used in the above calculations are as at 1 May 2007 (Naval Service and RAF) and 1 March 2007 (Army) and comprise Trained UK Regular Forces only.
Deployment figures are as at 11 May 2007 (Op Banner) and 30 April 2007 (all other Operations) and comprise all UK Service Personnel in theatre (Regulars and Reserves). All deployment figures exclude Special Forces.
Theatres included comprise of Telic, Herrick, Banner, Oculus, GCT & UN Operations in Cyprus, Nepal, Georgia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sudan and Sierra Leone.
BAE Systems
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what topics were discussed at the meeting between Mike Turner, the Chief Executive of BAE Systems, and Lord Drayson, the Defence Procurement Minister, on 26 June; at what time this meeting (a) started and (b) ended; who requested the meeting; and if he will make a statement. [148376]
Des Browne: Lord Drayson chaired a meeting of the National Defence Industries Council on 26 June at which the Chief Executive of BAE Systems was present. The meeting started at 10 am and was concluded at 12 noon. The National Defence Industries Council meets regularly bringing together Ministers, senior officials and representatives from the defence industry. They discuss a range of topics of mutual interest.
Departments: Sick Leave
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of sick leave taken by staff in his Department was stress-related in each of the last three years. [145971]
Derek Twigg: The table shows the percentage of sick leave that was stress related taken by staff in his Department for each of the last three years.
We require our managers to assess the risk of stress, using the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) standards and best practice guidance. To better assess the risks we have recently worked with HSE and our trades’ unions to pilot the HSE stress management package in several areas in the Department. Guidance for MOD on using the package will be rolled out during the summer.
| P ercentage of worker sickness absence that was stress related for civil servants in the Ministry of Defence calendar years 2004, 2005 and 2006 | |
| Percentage | |
| (1) Percentage listed is based on the Cabinet Office definition for sickness absence working days lost. This Cabinet Office definition excludes annual leave allowance and bank holidays, and caps FTE sickness absence days across a year to a maximum of 225 days. Recording of absence data against this revised definition has only been carried out since calendar year 2005. (2) Percentage listed is based on standardisation technique for sickness absence working days lost. This Standardisation technique involved adjusting unreasonably long absence lengths and removing obviously incorrect records. (3) Excludes Ministry of Defence staff in Trading Funds and Royal Fleet Auxiliaries. | |
Explosions: Compensation
Mr. Whittingdale:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many awards of compensation were paid for damage to property caused by explosions at Shoeburyness to residents living in (a) Maldon
District, (b) Chelmsford Borough, (c) Rochford District, (d) Colchester Borough, (e) Tendring District, (f) Southend on Sea, (g) Castlepoint District and (h) Kent in each year since 1995; [148151]
(2) how many claims for compensation were received for damage to property caused by explosions at Shoeburyness from residents living in (a) Maldon District, (b) Chelmsford Borough, (c) Rochford District, (d) Colchester Borough, (e) Tendring District, (f) Southend on Sea, (g) Castlepoint District and (h) Kent in each year since 1995. [148152]
Derek Twigg: Records on compensation are routinely destroyed after six years and information is only available from 2001. However, it is known that there have been no payments made since November 2004.
Available information for the period 2001-04 has to be collated from a number of sources within the Ministry of Defence. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as that information is available and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Exservicemen: Disabled
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel are on the waiting list for a redress of their veterans disability entitlements. [148344]
Derek Twigg: Under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme there are two options available for armed forces personnel who are dissatisfied with the decision made on their claim.
They can ask Service Personnel and Veterans Agency to look at the decision again—this is called reconsideration. As at 30 June 2007 there were 48 cases awaiting completion of which 27 were from serving armed forces personnel.
They can appeal to the Pensions Appeal Tribunal, which is independent of the MOD. As at 30 June 2007 there were 43 cases awaiting appeal hearings of which 20 were from serving armed forces personnel.
Ex-servicemen: Radiation Exposure
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the possible obligations the Government have to nuclear test veterans under the EU Directive Euratom 96/29. [148288]
Derek Twigg [holding answer 9 July 2007]: A resolution of the EU Parliament of 10 May 2007 called on member states to apply European Council Directive 96/29/Euratom on safety standards relating to ionising radiation. It is not legally binding, and the clearly stated position of this Government is that Euratom has no application to UK defence activities.
The UK Government, none the less, recognise their obligations to veterans of the UK nuclear tests. In particular, they have since 1983 commissioned three reports from the independent National Radiological Protection Board on possible adverse health effects of participation in these tests. These found no general effect on participants’ expectation of life nor on risk of
developing most cancers, though there was a small increase in risk of some leukaemias. The outcome of these studies is reflected in the MOD’s handling of claims under the War Pension and Armed Forces Compensation Schemes.
Military Police: Colchester
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the approved complement is of Ministry of Defence police at Colchester Garrison; and what plans he has to change this complement. [146280]
Derek Twigg: The approved complement of Ministry of Defence police (MDP) at Colchester Garrison is:
1 x Inspector
5 x Sergeants
16 x Constables
These figures do not include Criminal Investigation Department Officers who are not part of the MDP complement at Colchester Garrison and not funded by Land Command. They are based in Colchester for administrative convenience and are responsible for investigating crime on defence estates in East Anglia.
The Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency (MDPGA) has recently conducted a complementing review to validate HQ Land Command proposals to rebalance Ministry of Defence police assets across its defence estate. Once Land Command and the MDPGA have agreed the way ahead the local community, Trade Unions and staff associations will be consulted. Once this process is completed I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
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