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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 26 March 2008

Leader of the House

Members: Second Homes

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Leader of the House how many hon. Members claim for a second home (a) in London and (b) in their constituency. [195741]

Helen Goodman: Hon. Members are entitled to claim the additional costs allowance when staying away from their main home on parliamentary business. The allowance may be used for help with the cost of purchase or rental of a property, or for hotel or other overnight costs. In 2006-07 441 Members claimed the allowance for staying in London and 148 in their constituency.

Olympics

Departmental Information Officers

Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many (a) press and (b) communications officers were employed to promote (i) the bid for and (ii) the hosting of the 2012 Summer Olympics in each year for which figures are available. [182511]

Tessa Jowell: There were no press officers employed in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport solely to work on the Olympic bid. Subsequent to London winning the bid, the Department has employed the following numbers of press officers to work on the Olympics:

Press officers

2005-06

2

2006-07

3

2007-08

3


The Department does not have a “communication officer” grade. The “White Book” of contacts in Government Departments and agencies contains listings for the Department and the book is updated twice yearly.

Northern Ireland

Criminal Justice and Policing

8. Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made on devolution of criminal justice and policing to Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [195504]


26 Mar 2008 : Column 142W

Mr. Woodward: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Vale of York (Miss McIntosh).

Fuel Smuggling

9. Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the level of fuel smuggling in Northern Ireland. [195506]

Paul Goggins: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Clwyd, West (Mr. Jones).

Policing Budget

10. David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the policing budget for Northern Ireland is in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement. [195507]

Paul Goggins: The allocation made to the Northern Ireland Policing Board in respect of policing in 2007-08 amounts to £1,231 million.

Security Situation

11. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [195508]

Mr. Woodward: The security situation in Northern Ireland has been dramatically transformed, not least because of the historic agreement reached exactly one year ago today by the right hon. Member for North Antrim (Rev. Ian Paisley) and the hon. Member for Belfast, West (Mr. Adams).

Abortion

12. Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he plans to introduce new legislation on abortion in Northern Ireland. [195509]

Paul Goggins: The Government have no plans to amend the law on abortion in Northern Ireland.

Departmental Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost was of overnight accommodation for (a) civil servants, (b) special advisers and (c) Ministers in his Department staying overnight in (i) mainland Great Britain, (ii) Northern Ireland, (iii) the Republic of Ireland and (iv) other countries in the last 12 months. [193536]

Mr. Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office does not record the costs of overnight accommodation in the format requested. This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.


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Driving Offences: Sentencing

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) arrests and (b) convictions for drink-driving offences resulted in a custodial sentence in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (i) specific offence, (ii) age and (iii) sex. [194756]

Paul Goggins: Table 1 sets out the number of arrests for drink driving offences from 1998 to 2007. Breakdown by gender is available from 2002-07. However, the only information recorded on age is the average age of those arrested.

Table 2 sets out the number of convictions for drink driving offences which have resulted in a custodial sentence in each of the last 10 years, 2006 being the latest available.

Table 3 sets out the number of convictions for drink driving offences resulting in a custodial sentence categorised by age in each of the last 10 years, 2006 being the latest available.


26 Mar 2008 : Column 144W

Table 4 sets out the number of convictions for drink driving offences resulting in a custodial sentence categorised by gender in each of the last 10 years, 2006 being the latest available.

Table 1: Breakdown of number of arrests 2002-07
Male Female Average age

2007

3,866

478

33

2006

4,145

512

33

2005

3,992

443

34

2004

3,489

388

34

2003

3,142

349

33

2002

2,145

283

32


Total number of arrests 1998 to 2001
Number

2001

4,271

2000

5,284

1999

5,025

1998

4,711



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26 Mar 2008 : Column 146W
Table 2
Offence 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997

In charge of vehicle while under the influence of alcohol/drugs

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Failing to provide specimen of blood/urine—major accident

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Driving with excess alcohol

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

4

1

0

In charge with excess alcohol

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

1

0

Driving with excess alcohol—blood/urine

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

In charge with excess alcohol—blood/urine

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Failing to provide specimen of breath—driving

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Failing to provide specimen of breath—attempting to drive

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Failing to provide specimen of blood/urine—minor accident

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Driving when unfit through drink or drugs

5

5

3

8

4

2

5

12

15

8

Attempting to drive when unfit through drink or drugs

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

In charge when unfit through drink or drugs

1

0

0

0

1

0

1

1

0

0

Driving with excess alcohol in breath

9

14

5

11

3

11

4

5

4

14

Attempting to drive with excess alcohol in breath

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

In charge with excess alcohol in breath

0

2

0

0

0

1

2

1

0

0

Driving with excess alcohol in blood

0

0

4

3

2

5

2

3

1

3

Attempting to drive with excess alcohol in blood

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

In charge with excess alcohol in blood

0

0

0

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

Driving with excess alcohol in urine

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

In charge with excess alcohol in urine

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

Failing to provide specimen of breath for preliminary test

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

1

2

0

Failing to provide specimen of breath for analysis

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

Failing to provide specimen of blood or urine for analysis

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

1

Failing to provide specimen when driving unfit

0

1

2

3

2

0

0

3

2

0

Failing to provide specimen when attempting to drive unfit

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Failing to provide specimen when in charge unfit

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

1

0

Failing to provide specimen when driving with excess alcohol

0

0

1

1

0

1

0

0

0

0

Failing to provide specimen when attempting to drive unfit

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Failing to provide specimen when in charge with excess alcohol

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Causing death by driving carelessly when unfit

1

1

1

0

1

0

0

1

0

0

Causing GBI by driving carelessly when unfit

3

1

2

1

1

1

3

1

0

0

Causing death or GBI by driving carelessly- excess alcohol

1

0

0

1

0

1

2

1

0

0

Causing death by inconsiderate driving with excess alcohol

1

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Causing GBI by driving carelessly with excess alcohol

3

3

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Causing death—driving carelessly, failing to provide specimen

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Causing GBI—driving carelessly, failing to provide specimen

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Total

24

28

19

31

14

23

21

36

28

27


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