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4 Mar 2008 : Column 2366W—continued


Departmental Private Finance Initiative

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) value and (b) start date was of each private finance initiative project approved by his Department in each of the last three financial years. [190797]

Maria Eagle: The capital value and start date for every signed PFI project are recorded centrally on the Treasury’s website at:


4 Mar 2008 : Column 2367W

Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the courts will begin to make restraining orders on acquittal under section 12 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. [188814]

Mr. Coaker: I have been asked to reply.

Section 12 of the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004 will enable courts to impose restraining orders on those convicted of any offence, and also on those who are acquitted for any offence. This will mean that restraining orders will be available in a much wider range of cases.

We are currently working with the Ministry of Justice on the resource implications of this provision. When we have resolved this issue, we will be in a position to agree a timetable for the implementation of this section of the Act.

Employment Agencies

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department paid to recruitment agencies in relation to departmental appointments in each year since 1997. [184914]


4 Mar 2008 : Column 2368W

Maria Eagle: My Department does not hold this information centrally and it is, therefore, not possible to collate this without incurring disproportionate costs.

For posts below SCS, recruitment agencies are not used, other than in exceptional circumstances when a particular skills set is identified. This information is not held centrally.

The Civil Service Recruitment website, which was launched in December 2002, is the site of first choice for central government recruitment. There is no advertising cost associated with this facility.

As a part of the Civil Service Reform agenda applications from outside the Civil Service and from all sections of the community are encouraged. External recruitment support may be used to facilitate this.

Feltham Young Offender Institution and Remand Centre

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many inmates have been detained within the Ibis Unit at HM Young Offender Institution Feltham in each of the last 36 months; and if he will make a statement. [190627]

Maria Eagle: The information is set out in the following table and includes people who may have been held on Ibis Unit for as little as one hour.

January February March April May June July August September October November December

2005

YP

19

14

22

23

24

24

26

34

20

20

22

28

YA

32

17

12

16

26

27

17

19

11

29

45

35

Total

51

31

34

39

50

51

43

53

31

49

67

63

2006

YP

22

30

29

19

33

35

38

34

26

14

24

22

YA

39

32

31

36

28

33

38

28

32

34

18

25

Total

61

62

60

55

61

68

76

62

58

48

42

47

2007

YP

21

18

25

21

19

11

12

15

13

10

16

20

YA

34

26

19

27

29

20

15

29

34

24

24

25

Total

55

44

44

48

48

31

27

44

47

34

40

45

Note: YP means young person aged 15-17. YA means young adult aged 18-21.

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the criteria are for determining whether an inmate at HM Young Offender Institution Feltham should be placed within the Ibis Unit; when these criteria were last reviewed; and if he will make a statement. [190628]

Maria Eagle: HMPYOI Feltham follows the national policy set out in Prison Service Order 1700 (Segregation) when determining whether an offender should be located on Ibis Unit. A full review of PSO 1700 is currently in its latter stages. The last review was completed in November 2003. Adjudications (including decisions on whether to segregate as a punishment) are conducted in accordance with the requirements of PSO 2000 (The Prison Discipline Manual).

HM Prison Norwich: Smuggling

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the volume of contraband in HM Prison Norwich in each of the last 36 months; and if he will make a statement. [190823]

Maria Eagle: From 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2007 there were 208 drugs finds and 149 mobile phones finds at Norwich prison. The figures are broken down by month in the following table. As the table demonstrates there has been a decrease in drug finds year on year from 86 in 2005 to 52 in 2007. The assessment is that the reduced number of drug finds has coincided with a drop in the Positive Mandatory Drug Testing rate at Norwich to 5.67 per cent. (April 2007—January 2008), which indicates that a significant
4 Mar 2008 : Column 2369W
proportion of drugs coming into the establishment are being intercepted. Norwich has strategies in place to maximise mobile phone finds, and the number of such finds suggests the strategy is generating some success. It is not Prison Service policy to disclose details of individual establishment strategies for intercepting contraband.

Drug and mobile phone finds from January 2005 to December 2007
Drugs Mobile phones

2005

January

17

3

February

17

3

March

5

1

April

2

2

May

7

10

June

4

2

July

5

4

August

3

5

September

3

1

October

8

5

November

4

3

December

11

9

Total

86

48

2006

January

4

6

February

8

6

March

7

3

April

7

5

May

15

5

June

8

4

July

6

2

August

5

1

September

4

1

October

1

2

November

3

4

December

2

4

Total

70

43

2007

January

1

3

February

6

7

March

8

5

April

9

9

May

3

1

June

7

3

July

6

7

August

3

1

September

3

6

October

2

9

November

1

1

December

3

6

Total

208

149


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