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24 Jun 2008 : Column 230W—continued
Domestic Violence: Reoffenders
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to reduce levels of domestic violence reoffending. [212695]
Mr. Coaker: The Government are approaching this issue from two perspectives. Firstly, there is a focus on the protection of victims through the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) which identify those victims most at risk of serious harm and develop interventions to reduce the risk of repeat victimisation and by managing the offender.
Secondly, three accredited domestic abuse perpetrator programmes have been developed for convicted domestic abuse perpetrators. The Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme (IDAP) and the Community Domestic Violence Programme (CDVP) have been fully implemented in all probation areas in England and Wales. The Healthy Relationships Programme (HRP) is run in custody. To ensure the effectiveness of the programmes, a range of evaluation projects has been commissioned. We are also continuing to support the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) under which police, probation and prison services in each of the 42 areas in England and Wales work together with social care, health, housing and education services to assess and manage the most serious sexual and violent offenders.
A domestic abuse strategy for the National Offender Management Service is being developed. This will build upon the principles contained in the National Probation Service National Interim Domestic Abuse Policy and Strategy.
Drugs: Greater London
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mobile equipment each police force operating in the Greater London area uses to test for the presence of illegal drugs. [211592]
Mr. Coaker: As regards drivers suspected of being impaired by drugs, I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 11 June 2008, Official Report, column 342W. As regards other drug testing, the Drug Interventions programme (DIP) uses drug screening equipment situated in designated police custody suites as authorised under legislation. Of police forces operating in London, only the Metropolitan and City of London Police conduct DIP tests, the British Transport Police do not. Information is not collected centrally on any other tests the police may conduct for the presence of drugs, or any equipment which they use.
Homicide: Bournemouth
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders were committed in Bournemouth in each of the last five years, broken down by type of weapon used. [212465]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 19 June 2008]: Information collected centrally about the apparent method of killing for homicides in England and Wales cannot be broken down further than police force area level. Available data, relating to homicides recorded by Dorset police up to and including 2006-07 are shown in the following table.
Homicide: Essex
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many homicides there were in Essex in the last 10 years, broken down by method of killing. [213011]
Mr. Coaker: Aggregate data, relating to homicides recorded by Essex police between 1997-98 and 2006-07, are shown in the following table.
| Offences currently( 1) recorded as homicide by apparent method of killing: Essex police force area, combined data for 1997-98 to 2006-07( 2) | |
| Apparent method of killing | Number |
| (1) As at 12 November 2007; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available. (2) Data for 2007-08 are not yet published. (3) Includes knives and other sharp instruments. (4) Including firearms used as a blunt instrument. (5) Including asphyxiation. (6) Including shooting by crossbow. Excludes homicides where firearms used as a blunt instrument. (7) Excluding death by careless/dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking. | |
Human Trafficking
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will attend the meeting of the All Party Group on Trafficking of Women and Children on 24 June in the House of Commons to discuss with the Chief Constable of Gloucestershire
the work of Pentameter 2 on trafficking in Britain. [213426]
Mr. Coaker: It is the Government's stated position that the operational outcomes of Pentameter 2 will be announced following the end of the operation. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is unable to attend the event on 24 June due to diary commitments; however I shall be happy to discuss this operation with the All Party Parliamentary Group at a future date as part of my previous commitment to keep the House informed on progress made in tackling human trafficking.
Human Trafficking: Children
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answers of 11 June 2008, Official Report, column 347W, and 3 June 2008, Official Report, column 883W, on Human trafficking: Children, if she will (a) confirm that a full copy of the report will be placed in the Library and (b) publish the report before the end of June. [212826]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 23 June 2008]: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 11 June to this question. I can confirm a copy of the summary report will be placed in the Library but cannot say when it will be published as the report is being finalised by CEOP.
Hunting
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases have been reported of threatening or abusive behaviour towards hunt monitors by supporters of hunting with dogs in the last 12 months; what steps are being taken to prevent illegal hunting activity and to enforce the provisions of the Hunting Act 2004; and if she will make a statement. [209678]
Mr. Coaker: Data on threatening or abusive behaviour towards hunt monitors are not collected centrally.
The police have stated their commitment to enforcing the Hunting Act. The Government continue to meet with interested stakeholders and to work closely with the police, through the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to identify what more can be done to ensure the Hunting Act is effectively and appropriately enforced and to improve detection of illegal hunting.
ACPO have conducted a survey of local police forces' response to enforcement of the Hunting Act which will be used to inform practical best practice guidance ahead of the start of the hunting season. The Government are also working with ACPO on ways to raise awareness of issues surrounding enforcement of the Hunting Act across the police service, and to communicate the importance of visible enforcement to community policing in rural areas and to the maintenance of public order.
We are also working closely with the Attorney-General about what more can be done to secure prosecutions where evidence has been presented of Hunting Act offences being committed.
Twenty-nine individuals have now been convicted of offences under the Hunting Act 2004 which does show that the legislation is enforceable when the evidence presents itself.
Identity and Passport Service: Databases
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of the error rate in each of the databases operated by the Identity and Passport Service. [180258]
Meg Hillier: Currently, replication checks exist between the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) regional and central system databases. These replication checks mean that all IPS issued books are accounted for and no errors exist.
IPS does receive external feeds of passport data from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the processing of these onto the central database creates errors, and an error recycling process. The current error rates are 1.22 per cent.
Members: Correspondence
Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the UK Border Agency plans to reply to the letter of 24 April 2008 from the hon. Member for Ilford South on his constituent Mr Dominic Brown and the request for a visit visa for Ms Saeeda Begum following the outcome of her appeal on 20 February 2008, reference 1403584. [209422]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 6 June 2008]: The UK Border Agency’s Visa Services Directorate replied to the hon. Member’s letter to the Chief Executive on 3 June 2008.
Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will reply to the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood’s enquiry of 16 May 2008 regarding Aneesha Sajawal ref: GV100/129558. [211466]
Mr. Byrne: The UK Border Agency replied to the right hon. Member’s inquiry on 9 June 2008.
Police: Pay
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse of the High Court case between the Police Federation and the Government on the police pay award has been. [211524]
Jacqui Smith: We do not yet have complete information on the cost of the Judicial Review concerning the 2007 Police Officer Pay Award. It is estimated the total Home Office legal costs will be approximately £45,000.
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