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22 July 2008 : Column 1220W—continued
Gambling: Young People
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were (a) prosecuted, (b) fined and (c) cautioned for offences related to underage gambling in each of the last 10 years. [219684]
Maria Eagle: Information held by the Ministry of Justice on prosecutions, convictions, defendants sentenced to a fine and offenders cautioned by the police for offences related to under-age gambling between the years of 1997 and 2006 (latest available) are provided in the following table.
The figures provided relate to persons for whom the offence was the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
Information for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
| Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty and sentenced to a fine at all courts and offenders cautioned by the police for offences related to under-age gambling( 1) , England and Wales, 1997 to 2006( 2, 3) | ||||
| Proceeded against | Found guilty | Fined | Cautioned | |
| (1) Includes offences of under-age gambling, allowing under-age gambling and illegal participation in lotteries by persons aged under 18 under the Gaming Act 1968, the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 and the Gambling Act 2005. (2) These data are on the principal offence basis. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. | ||||
Google: Data Protection
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the likely implications for individuals' right to privacy of the proposal by Google to publish photographs of UK addresses on its Streetview website. [220297]
Mr. Wills: The ICO have been in discussions with Google over Street view and recognises that privacy safeguards have been put in place. The ICO will continue to monitor developments and work with Google as necessary.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is an independent body created by statute. Its responsibilities include compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003.
Human Rights
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what training has been provided to civil servants on (a) human rights and (b) the Convention on the Rights of the Child in each of the last five years. [220216]
Mr. Wills:
Responsibility for training of civil servants lies with individual Departments. Since 2000, the Ministry of Justice, and before it the Department of Constitutional Affairs and the Lord Chancellor’s Department, have provided guidance on human rights and the Human
Rights Act to other Departments to inform the training they give to their officials. “Raising Awareness of Human Rights”, an electronic training package for public officials is also available to all civil servants via the website of the National School for Government. There is no specific programme of training for civil servants on the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Information Commissioner: Secondment
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2008, Official Report, columns 64-65W, on the Information Commissioner, what safeguards apply to secondees from Government departments to the Information Commissioner’s Office to ensure they may not handle appeals relating to their departments. [220533]
Mr. Wills: The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is an independent body created by statute. Its responsibilities include handling complaints made under the Data Protection Act 1998, Freedom of Information Act 2000, Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
There is a clear process in place at the ICO for ensuring that individuals seconded to the ICO will not handle complaints from their own Department. A line manager who works for the ICO will allocate freedom of information complaints to the secondees from Government Departments who will be working at the ICO. The line manager will ensure that the secondees do not handle complaints involving their home Department. A permanent member of the ICO’s staff will oversee the work of secondees and in conjunction with the ICO policy team will ensure consistency. Secondees will not be authorised to sign decision notices. Only senior established ICO employees can sign notices.
International Law
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which Ministers have represented the UK in state party examinations by UN treaty monitoring bodies in each of the last five years. [220102]
Mr. Wills: The only occasion in the last five years on which a Minister has represented the United Kingdom at an examination by a UN treaty monitoring body was on 10 July 2008, when my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Women and Equality (Barbara Follett) led the UK delegation for the examination by the Committee for the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women. On all other occasions the United Kingdom has been represented by a senior official.
Juries: Wales
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to publish his response to the consultation on bilingual juries in Wales. [211285]
Mr. Straw: The Ministry of Justice will make a statement on bilingual juries shortly.
Magistrates: Ethnic Groups
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of magistrates in England and Wales were from an ethnic minority background in (a) 2007 and (b) 1997. [220875]
Mr. Straw: In (a) 2007, 2,065 magistrates (6.9 per cent.) out of a total of 29,816 magistrates were from an ethnic minority background at the financial year ending 31 March 2007.
Figures for 1997 are not available.
Magistrates: Females
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of magistrates in England and Wales were women in (a) 2007 and (b) 1997. [220876]
Mr. Straw: The information is as follows:
In (a) 2007, 14,809 magistrates (49.7 per cent.) out of a total of 29,816 were women at the financial year ending 31 March 2007.
In (b) 1997, 14,516 magistrates (47.8 per cent.) out of a total of 30,374 were women at the calendar year ending 31 December 1997.
Mentally Disturbed Offenders
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to ensure that a person subjected to a hospital order is not moved to a hospital near to his or her victims without there being (a) consultation with and (b) notification to those victims or their families. [220579]
Maria Eagle: We have enhanced the rights of victims to information, where the offender is sentenced by way of a restricted hospital order, in the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. Those rights will be extended to cases where the offender receives an unrestricted hospital order by amendments in the Mental Health Act 2007, due to be implemented in November.
The statutory rights do not extend explicitly to transfers of offenders between hospitals. However, where the offender is restricted, officials in the National Offender Management Service will usually exercise the Secretary of State’s delegated powers to give victims basic information, to reassure them of steps being taken for their protection, and will seek to avoid transfers to hospitals where victims may be adversely affected.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will review the rights of victims and their families to be consulted prior to a person who has been convicted of an offence and made subject to a hospital order being moved to another institution. [220581]
Maria Eagle: We have enhanced the rights of victims to information, where the offender is sentenced by way of a restricted hospital order, in the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. Those rights will be extended to cases where the offender receives an unrestricted hospital order by amendments in the Mental Health Act 2007, due to be implemented in November.
There is no explicit right for victims to be consulted before a detained patient is moved between hospitals. But victim liaison officers will work with victims who wish to be kept informed, and will ensure that they are given information necessary to reassure them about measures taken for their protection.
National Identity
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the planned timetable for the development of a British statement of values is; [220411]
(2) what progress has been made in the development of a framework for a public engagement process to develop a British statement of values. [220412]
Mr. Wills: We are currently finalising a process of engagement to inform the debate on the statement of values. This will involve a series of events around the country, a programme of online engagement and a range of discussion pieces. The process will culminate in a citizens’ summit—a broadly representative sample of the British people who will be asked to develop the framework for the statement of values and make recommendations on its uses. We expect to make an announcement in the autumn.
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been spent on consultative exercises and initiatives in relation to the development of a British statement of values, broken down by event. [220488]
Mr. Wills: A series of events to support The Governance of Britain programme, including discussion on national identity and the statement of values, is currently under way. Final costs will be available once the events are complete. We have also undertaken some work with consultants to support development of the engagement process on the statement of values. This has been provided at a cost of £5,000.
Offenders
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in respect of how many defendants remanded in custody on indictable-only matters had proceedings been terminated prior to arraignment or no evidence offered in each of the last five years; and how long on average each such defendant was detained in custody. [220055]
Maria Eagle: In order to answer this question, it will be necessary to undertake a detailed analysis’ of historic Crown court case data. It will not be possible to complete this work before the start of the summer recess. However, I will write to the hon. Lady with the relevant information as soon as it is available.
Offensive Weapons: Sentencing
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people aged (a) under 16, (b) between 16 and 18 and (c) over 18 years were convicted of possession of a knife in each of the last 10 years; what percentage received custodial sentences; and what the average length of a custodial sentence was in each year. [220830]
Mr. Straw: The requested information is contained in the following tables.
Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
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