| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
21 Apr 2008 : Column 1476W—continued
Copies of both the statistics table and the look-up table are available in the Library.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes of violence against the person were recorded in each police authority area in Wales in each of the last five years. [199311]
Mr. Coaker: The number of offences of violence against the person for each of the last five years, for the four police force areas in Wales, broken down by Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) is available on the Home Office website at:
Copies of the statistics table are available in the Library.
Crimes of Violence: Licensed Premises
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) incidents of violence against the person and (b) police emergency call-outs resulting from incidents occurring (i) on and (ii) in the vicinity of premises licensed to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises under the Licensing Act 1964 there were in each of the last five years in each police force area; and if she will make a statement. [198537]
Mr. Coaker: Information on incidents of violence against the person and police emergency call-outs resulting from incidents occurring on or near licensed premises is not held by the Ministry of Justice.
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many violent offences were committed in connection with licensed premises in each police area in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [198538]
Mr. Coaker: Information on the number of violent offences committed in connection with licensed premises is not held by the Ministry of Justice.
Criminal Records Bureau: Standards
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what performance standards she has set for the operation by Capita of the Criminal Records Bureau's information systems; and what arrangements she has made to ensure that errors in records held on the Police National Computer and supplied to employers by the Criminal Records Agency can be corrected. [198505]
Meg Hillier: The disclosure service operates as a contract between the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Capita Business Services based upon a public private partnership agreement. A contract schedule sets out the service levels for Capita to meet, which contains performance measures, including data quality. However, Capita are not responsible for the accuracy of information held on the Police National Computer (PNC). This is the responsibility of the police.
The CRB operates a process that enables an individual to challenge the information provided on a disclosure. In addressing such a dispute, the CRB will contact the relevant police force(s) to advise them of the issues raised by the applicant. Should the force confirm that the information originally held on PNC is incorrect, the CRB will issue an amended disclosure to the applicant and the employer/registered body free of charge.
Cycling: Road Traffic Offences
Mr. Ruffley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many fixed penalties were issued to cyclists for the offence of (a) carrying another person and (b) cycling on pavements, broken down by police force area in each of the last three
years; and how many of the penalties were issued to cyclists aged over 14 years; [198466]
(2) how many on-the-spot fines for cycling on the pavement were issued by each police force in each year since the scheme was introduced. [198475]
Mr. Coaker: Information is not collected centrally on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for cycling offences.
Departmental Correspondence
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2008, Official Report, column 611W, on departmental correspondence, if she will make it her policy that Ministers in her Department sign all replies to letters from hon. Members addressed to a Minister. [195977]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 20 March 2008]: There are no plans to do so.
Detention Centres: Children
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Children's Commissioner for England on children held in immigration removal centres. [197674]
Mr. Byrne: I meet with the Children's Commissioner for England frequently, and I find his advice invaluable, especially around issues raised about the detention of children in immigration removal centres.
In addition, officials in the UK Border Agency also maintain a good working relationship with the Commissioner's office. At their regular meetings issues relating to the detention of children are often discussed.
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what medical care and education services are provided to children in immigration removal centres. [197675]
Mr. Byrne: All immigration removal centres provide detainees, children and adults, with free, on-site health care services that are broadly equivalent to those national health service (NHS) general practitioners provide in the community. Detainees also have ready access to NHS secondary and tertiary health services, including paediatric services.
Two full-time qualified teachers provide educational classes for school age children at Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre, which is the main centre for holding families with children. The education provision at Yarl's Wood is based on the national curriculum wherever possible and is delivered to three age-based groups. Children are assessed to determine literacy, numeracy and ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) skill levels. Tuition covers core areas of English, numeracy, IT, art and craft and PE.
Families with children may also be detained at Tinsley and Dungavel House immigration removal centres, where programmes of structured activities are provided for children. Families with children usually
remain at these centres for no longer than 72 hours. If detention continues beyond three days, they are normally transferred to Yarl's Wood.
Domestic Violence: Immigrants
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of women with insecure immigration status left destitute after leaving a violent relationship in the latest period for which figures are available. [199964]
Mr. Coaker: Figures for the number of women with insecure immigration status left destitute after leaving a violent relationship are not available, as these data are not routinely collected by the Home Office.
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding the Government has given to local authorities to support women with insecure immigration status trying to flee violence and access refuge in the latest period for which figures are available. [199965]
Mr. Coaker: The Government have not provided direct funding to local authorities to support women with insecure immigration status who are victims of domestic violence.
However, between 2003-04 and 2005-06 the Home Office provided a total of £145,000 to the Women’s Aid Federation of England to bolster its Last Resort Fund to support victims of domestic violence with no recourse to public funds.
We will shortly be announcing details of a new scheme where victims of domestic violence with no recourse to public funds may be eligible to receive support for their housing and living costs. Under the new scheme victims of domestic violence whose applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain are successful may qualify for a contribution towards these costs.
Domestic Violence: Immigration
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial support is available to spouses and their dependants who are seeking leave to remain on basis of the domestic violence rule. [198370]
Mr. Coaker: Victims of domestic violence who apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) under the domestic violence rule may qualify for assistance under specific legislation and can also access housing related support services funded by the Supporting People Grant.
In February 2006 the Home Office wrote to all local authorities in England, outlining the position of women who have no recourse to public funds and how local authorities can help and support these women within existing legislation, for example, under the Children Act 1989, the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 and the Local Government Act 2000.
We will shortly be announcing details of a new scheme where victims of domestic violence with no recourse to public funds may be eligible to receive
support for their housing and living costs. Under the new scheme victims of domestic violence whose applications for (ILR) are successful may qualify for a contribution towards these costs.
Domestic Violence: Victim Support Schemes
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding was provided to organisations providing support for victims of domestic violence in each year since 2001, broken down by organisation. [197862]
Mr. Coaker: The Government have funded a range of organisations which provide direct support to victims of domestic violence. The following table lists them:
| Home Office Organisational Grant Funding for Domestic Violence | |
| Organisation | Amount (£) |
Sarah Teather:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what telephone hotlines supported by her Department are available to support and advise
victims of domestic violence; how these hotlines are publicised; and what funding from the public purse each organisation has received since 2001. [197863]
Mr. Coaker: The Home Office provides funds to a matrix of national helplines including: the National 24 Hour Domestic Violence Helpline which was launched in December 2003; the Men's Advice Line and Enquiries (MALE); and Broken Rainbow, a service for victims of domestic violence within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Strategic funding for these helplines began in 2003-04 so figures prior to this are not available.
In relation to non-convicted perpetrators, the Home Office has also funded the RESPECT phoneline which offers advice to perpetrators.
The victim-focused helplines were publicised in the two recent ENOUGH Campaigns, undertaken in 2006 and 2007, which included print and radio media advertising within the specialist domestic violence court areas.
The funding provided to the helplines from 2003-04 is as follows.
| National Domestic Violence Helpline | |
| Funding (£) | |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |