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12 Dec 2007 : Column 678W—continued
British Standards Institute
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British Standards Institute kitemarks for internet content control software had been issued and to whom pursuant to the initiative announced by her Department in December 2006; and if she will make a statement. [172392]
Mr. Coaker: The British Standards Institute kitemark will be launched in early 2008, and once it is launched companies will be able to apply for it. The Government welcomes the work done by all parties to develop the standard, and encourages companies to apply for it once launched.
Crime
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many offences were recorded per 1,000 population in England and Wales in each year since 1997, (a) in total, (b) of violence against the person, (c) of sexual offences, (d) of robbery, burglary, theft and handling stolen goods, (e) of fraud, (f) of criminal damage and (g) of other notifiable offences, broken down by police force area; [166856]
(2) how many (a) violent crime offences, (b) car crime offences, (c) robberies, (d) burglaries, (e) thefts and (f) criminal damage offences there were per 1,000 head of population in each police force area in England and Wales in each year since 1997. [166858]
Mr. Coaker: Data broken down by police force area for these offences are available from 2001-02 and are given in tables. Copies will be placed in the House Library.
As a result of the findings of two independent reviews of crime statistics in 2006, a number of changes have been made to the classifications of offences. Therefore all of the offence categories shown are based on the new classifications. Providing data for earlier years, where the requested data are not held on an electronic database, would entail disproportionate cost.
Departmental Reorganisation
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her most recent estimate is of the cost to her Department associated with reorganising her Department and creating the Ministry of Justice. [169695]
Jacqui Smith: Any costs incurred by the Home Office as a result of the creation of the Ministry of Justice and any subsequent reorganisation of the Department have been minimal.
Extradition: USA
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations her Department has made to the US authorities in the last 12 months on the time taken to bring the three extradited former NatWest bankers to trial. [167024]
Jacqui Smith: The Home Office has made no representations to the US authorities. The trial date is a matter for the parties and the US judicial authorities.
Human Trafficking
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to establish safe houses to which trafficked children discovered by police may be conducted. [172843]
Mr. Coaker: Any child found by the police whom they consider to be at risk of harm, are referred to local authority children services who have a statutory duty under the 1989 Children Act to ensure that their safeguarding and welfare needs are addressed.
As part of their action plan on tackling human trafficking, the Government will be shortly publishing their proposals for enhancing the provision of safe and sensitive arrangements for the care and protection of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, some of whom may have been trafficked.
Identity Cards: Contracts
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what break clauses have been included in contracts (a) agreed and (b) under negotiation in draft form on identity cards. [167029]
Jacqui Smith: IPS is four months into a nine month procurement process for the National Identity Scheme Strategic Supplier Framework. Once this agreement is in place, further 'mini-competition' procurements lasting six to nine months will be conducted for specific contracts.
As part of the process IPS is in discussion on many detailed commercial principles (over 150) that will inform the eventual contracts put to bidders. These include principles on approaches to breaking contracts, however discussions are ongoing and no contract clauses have yet been provided to bidders.
Personation: Publicity
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent in 2007 by her Department on (a) newspaper and print media, (b) online, (c) radio, (d) television and (e) other advertising to raise public awareness on identity fraud, and to advise on methods of preventing identity theft. [170663]
Meg Hillier [holding answer 6 December 2007]: The Home Office established the Identity Fraud Steering Committee (IFSC) in 2003 to work with public and private sector organisations, to identify and implement cost-effective measures to counter identity fraud, and to co-ordinate activity in this area.
The IFSC established an identity theft website:
which provides advice to the public on how to minimise the chance of becoming a victim of identity fraud, warning signs to look out for, and help for victims. Home Office expenditure on the website in 2007 is nil.
The IFSC also produced an identity theft leaflet and poster. Over 13 million leaflets have been distributed since September 2005. Home Office expenditure for printing leaflets and posters in 2007 is £11,000. No expenditure has been incurred through other media channels.
Police: Ethnic Groups
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of police force recruits were (a) men, (b) women, (c) black and minority ethnic men and (d) black and minority ethnic women in each of the last 10 years. [171376]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 4 December 2007]: The requested data are for police officer joiners, and are published annually in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin series “Police Service Strength, England and Wales” which are available online and in the Library of the House.
The available data are given in the following table.
| Proportion( 1) of police officer joiners( 2) by gender and ethnicity( 3) as at 31 March 1998-2007 | ||||
| Percentage | ||||
| Date as at 31 March | Male | Female | Minority ethnic male | Minority ethnic female |
| n/a = not available (1) Based on full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between the totals and the sums of constituent items. (2) Joiners include transfers from other England and Wales forces, but does not include those officers returning after a period of secondment. (3) Minority ethnic officers only, does not include those officers whose ethnicity is listed as “not stated”. Ethnicity data are not available prior to 2003/04. | ||||
Pornography: Internet
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures taken by internet service providers offering broadband connections to prevent access to images of child abuse. [172391]
Mr. Coaker: The Government are very grateful to all ISPs that have implemented measures to block child abuse images. The great majority of consumer broadband connections are now covered, and I would like to encourage those ISPs that have not already done so to take the necessary action.
Stop and Search
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many searches of (a) persons and (b) vehicles under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 were carried out by each police force in each year since 1997; and how many arrests for (i) possession of offensive weapons and (ii) other reasons resulted. [167002]
Mr. Coaker: The available information held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform for the period 1998-99 to 2005-06 is in tables. Copies will be placed in the House Library.
Information on searches of ‘persons’ and ‘vehicles only’ cannot be separately identified prior to 1998-99.
Telephone Tapping
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which organisations are entitled to access data on telephone calls made in the UK. [162489]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 12 November 2007]: Public authorities able to obtain communications data using the provisions of section 22 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 are set out in section 25(1) of that Act and in orders made under section 25(1)(g).
Those orders are the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Communications Data) Order 2003 (Statutory Instrument 2003 No. 3172), the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Communications Data) (Amendment) Order 2005 (Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 1083) and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Communications Data) (Additional Functions and Amendment) Order 2006 (Statutory Instrument 2006 No. 1878).
In relation to telephone calls, communications data includes information about the use of telephone services, such as billing records, and about the users of services, such as identifying the subscriber of a telephone number and their address. It excludes the content of phone calls and what individuals say or what data they pass on. Lawful interception of communications content can be authorised only by a warrant issued by the Secretary of State under section 5 of the 2000 Act or in other very specific circumstances permitted by sections 3 and 4 of that Act.
Terrorism
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she last met the Director of Public Prosecutions to discuss counter-terrorism policy; and what discussions she has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions on revising counter-terrorism legislation. [169702]
Mr. McNulty: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has not met the Director of Public Prosecutions to discuss counter-terrorism-related issues since she took office in June 2007. However, we have undertaken an extensive consultation on proposals for forthcoming counter-terrorism legislation and this approach has been widely welcomed. The Director of Public Prosecutions has been involved in discussions at official level on issues relating to counter-terrorism legislation.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what remuneration was received by Lord Carlile of Berriew QC for his role of independent reviewer of terrorism legislation in each year since his appointment. [169694]
Jacqui Smith: Lord Carlile of Berriew received a daily rate of £452 in 2001 for his role of independent reviewer of terrorism legislation. This has increased since then to the current daily rate of £900.
Communities and Local Government
Adult Education: Elderly
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to make future provision for people aged 65 and over to receive concessions for adult education courses. [167869]
Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
We recognise the importance of adult learning in meeting a range of personal, social and community needs and we know how much people, particularly older learners, value and enjoy their courses. The Government remain fully committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all learners and that learning serves the needs of the whole community, including older people both within and outside the work force.
Fee concessions for people aged 65 and over are at the discretion of individual providers. I must make clear that the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 do not bar providers from offering fee discounts for learners aged 65 and over. They allow for such positive action provided that it can be objectively justified.
I refer the hon. Member to my written statement on 16 May 2007, Official Report, column 35WS.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she has issued to local authorities on the effect of the provisions of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 on concessionary fees for adult education courses for people aged 65 years and over. [167872]
Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
We are committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all learners, and that learning serves the needs of the whole community, including older people both within and outside the work force. Our strategy for World Class Skills and our reforms of wider adult learning are designed to ensure that everyone, whatever their age or background, has the opportunity to improve their skills, prospects and quality of life.
I must make clear that the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 do not bar providers from offering fee discounts for learners aged 65 and over. They allow for such positive action provided that it can be objectively justified. I refer the hon. Member to my written statement on 16 May 2007, Official Report, column 35WS.
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