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28 Nov 2007 : Column 477W—continued


28 Nov 2007 : Column 478W
The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty and sentenced at all courts for immediate custody for offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec 5(2) as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 157, Sch 8, Part II. and Sec 5(3), in England and Wales for the year 2005( 1, 2, 3)
Statute Offence description Prosecuted Guilty Immediate custody

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec 5(2) (Class ‘B’ Drug) as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 157, Sch 8, Part II.

Having possession of a controlled drug: Amphetamine.

2,184

2,094

65

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec 5(2) (Class ‘B’ Drug) as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 157, Sch 8, Part II.

Having possession of a controlled drug: Other Class ‘B’

162

149

11

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec 5(3) (Class ‘B’ Drug).

Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: Amphetamine.

300

258

123

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec 5(3) (Class ‘B’ Drug)

Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: 0ther Class ‘B’.

31

16

5

(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.
(3 )Prior to 18 January 2007 the possession of and/or with intent to supply Methylamphetamine was not a separate offence It was also reclassed from a class B to class A drug on 18 January 2007. Due to reclassification the table shows both amphetamine and class B data as methylamphetamine may have been recorded under one of those offences prior to reclassification The following are new acts and offence descriptions for Methylamphetamine offences:
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 S.4 (3)
Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug (or being concerned in) (Class ‘A’ Drug) Methylamphetamine (Crystal Meths)
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 S.5(2)
Having possession of a class A Drug (Class ‘A’ Drug) Methylamphetamine (Crystal Meths)
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 S.5(3)
Having possession of a class A drug with intent to supply (Class ‘A’ Drug) Methylamphetamine (Crystal Meths)
Source:
Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice

Custodial Treatment: Offensive Weapons

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons were (a) convicted of an offence of carrying a bladed article and (b) received a custodial sentence for such a crime in England and Wales in each of the last six months. [166078]

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of persons found guilty and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for carrying a bladed article in England and Wales for 2005 are shown in the following table.

Data for 2006 will be available shortly.

The number of persons found guilty and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for the offences under the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 S.I, and the Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139, S.139(A) and 139(2) as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(l), in England and Wales for 2005( 1, 2, 3)
2005
Statute Offence description Found guilty Immediate custody

Prevention of Crime Act 1953 S.I

Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse

5,728

829

Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139

Having an article with a blade or point in a public place

5,961

965

Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139(A) as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(l)

Having an article with a blade or point on school premises

44

5

Criminal Justice Act 1988 139(2) as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 5.4(1)

Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises

29

3

(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 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.
(3 )Excludes data provided by West Mercia police force area (for offences of carrying a knife on a school premises)
Source:
Court proceedings database held by RDS—OCJR, Ministry of Justice


28 Nov 2007 : Column 479W

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to ensure that English wine is served exclusively or at the request of guests at meals, parties and receptions hosted by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [164290]

Maria Eagle: Catering services to meet my Department's requirements are contracted out and provided by commercial suppliers.

Where opportunities arise, my Department is committed to increasing the scope for small and medium-sized enterprises by encouraging our larger suppliers to increase their use of local suppliers within their supply chain.

Departmental Catering

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of (a) beef, (b) lamb, (c) pork and (d) dairy products used in his departmental headquarters were imported products in the most recent period for which figures are available. [166649]

Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the report published by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on 8 November 2007 that gives the proportion of UK produce supplied to Government Departments, NHS and HM Prison Service.

Copies of the report are available on the DEFRA website at:

and have been deposited in the House of Commons library.

Departmental Data Protection

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many officials are employed by the Information Commissioner in investigating potential breaches of the Data Protection Act. [167982]

Mr. Wills: 54 staff work in the ICO’s case reception and casework and advice departments. These staff make assessments of compliance under section 42 of the Act.

A further 22 staff are employed in the regulatory action division. This Department uses powers including criminal prosecution, non-criminal enforcement and audit to investigate non-compliance under the Act.

Departmental Foreign Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) EU foreign nationals and (b) non-EU foreign nationals are employed by his Department. [168103]

Maria Eagle: The Ministry has an obligation under the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Code to ensure its recruitment processes are operating under open and fair principles. The MOJ only employs applicants who have the right to work in the UK, and
28 Nov 2007 : Column 480W
an individual's nationality is verified before an offer of employment is made. Civil Service rules enable EEA nationals and certain non-EEA family members to be employed as Civil Servants. The Ministry of Justice does not hold central data in respect of the number of EU foreign nationals employed and they could be collected only at disproportionate costs.

There is also a provision that, in exceptional circumstances, foreign nationals, other than EEA nationals and certain non-EEA family members, may be employed by means of an aliens' certificate under the Aliens' Employment Act 1955. This Act empowers the employing Department's Minister, with the approval of the Minister for the Civil Service, to issue a certificate of employment in certain circumstances. Information on the number of staff employed under the Alien's Employment Act 1955 is collected. The Prison Service currently employs one person under the Act and approved by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice, with the consent of the Minister for the Civil Service.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest; and if he will make a statement. [164159]

Maria Eagle: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the model contract for special advisers. Copies of the model contract are available in the Libraries of the House. Neither of the Ministry of Justice's special advisers have declared any conflicts of interest to the Ministry since their appointment but they are aware of the need to declare any future conflicts that may arise in the course of their work.

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the office costs for his Department's special advisers for 2007-08 are expected to be, including costs of support staff; and how many full-time equivalent civil servants work in support of such special advisers. [164931]

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice employs two special advisers. Details of their remuneration were published on 22 November 2007, Official Report, columns 148-50WS. They are supported by two full-time equivalent support staff. Given this small number of staff, providing cost information could identify an individual's salary, which is confidential between the individual and the employer. Office costs will be accounted for in the 2007-08 departmental annual report and accounts.

Departmental Pay

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in his Department and its predecessors earned over £100,000 in each year since 1997. [167196]

Maria Eagle: All those employees earning base salaries of more than £100,000 per year are members of the senior civil service. The senior civil service reward framework is designed by Cabinet Office and common
28 Nov 2007 : Column 481W
to all departments. The pay of all members of the MOJ SCS is within the SCS pay ranges set by Cabinet Office.

Information relating to employees of the magistrates' courts committees prior to the creation of Her Majesty's Court Service in 2005 is not available, therefore the information provided relates to 2004-05 onwards.

Number earning £100,000 or more

2004-05

21

2005-06

20

2006-07

20


Departmental Secondment

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many secondments of staff were made (a) to and (b) from his Department in each year since 1997; which organisations staff were seconded (i) to and (ii) from; how many staff were seconded in each year; for how long each secondment lasted; and what the cost was of each secondment in each year. [167242]

Maria Eagle: There is currently no requirement for Departments to hold details of secondment information centrally; information on secondments out of the Department or the destination and cost of the secondments is not held on the Ministry of Justice's internal HR system and can be provided only at a disproportionate cost. However information on secondees into the Department and those who entered the Department on loan from other Government Departments is recorded on the Ministry of Justice's internal HR Oracle system and is detailed in the following table.

Inwards secondments (headcount) MOJ (former DCA including only DCA HQ, HMCS, tribunals, OPG, Scotland and Wales Office)
Secondment headcount Loan headcount

1 April 1997 to 31 March l998

0

4

1 April 1998 to 31 March l999

0

26

1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000

6

18

1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001

0

7

1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002

1

18

1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003

1

13

1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004

0

17

1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005

1

26

1 October 2005 to 30 September 2006

0

6

1 October 2006 to 30 September 2007

0

12


28 Nov 2007 : Column 482W

Health Insurance

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies have private health insurance provided as part of their employment package. [167928]

Maria Eagle: My Department and its agencies do not have private health insurance provided as part of their employment package. 74 officials employed in Her Majesty's Courts Service, one of the Ministry's Executive Agencies, do however retain an entitlement to private health insurance following the unification of the former DCA with the Magistrates' Courts Service on 1 April 2005, and the transfer of former Magistrates' Courts Committee (MCC) employees to the Department on TUPE terms. Of these, 53 officials currently retain an entitlement to private health insurance provided by AXA-PPP Healthcare, six retain an entitlement to annual health screening provided by Nuffield Proactive Health and 15 retain an entitlement to paid membership of a healthcare cash plan provided by Westfield Health. All these schemes were closed to new members on 1 April 2005.

The Ministry has recently offered new terms and conditions to former DCA staff, including former MCC employees. Some legacy allowances that were not part of the new deal, including private health insurance entitlements, will be reviewed with the trade unions through the collective bargaining framework by the end of the current financial year. Any changes will be applied to all affected staff.


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