| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
10 Sep 2008 : Column 1866W—continued
| Table 2: Detections, 2007-08, England and Wales | |
| Crime type | Number |
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for information on the national DNA database her Department has received from other countries in 2007-08. [219142]
Meg Hillier: There are three categories of information sought from the national DNA database (NDNAD) by other countries.
1. Searches carried out against the NDNAD of DNA profiles from outstanding serious crimes or for the identification of an unknown deceased person believed to be a United Kingdom national. Reports are issued directly to the United Kingdom National Central Bureau for Interpol (UK NCB), based at the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), as to the outcome of each profile search. There were 727 responses to profile search requests in 2007-08.
2. Requests for the DNA profile held for a subject on the NDNAD, where fingerprints have been provided to the country that the individual currently resides in. Again this is information provided to SOCA. There were 89 subject DNA profiles provided in 2007-08.
3. Database management information. This provides the number of subject and crime scene DNA profile records held on the NDNAD and the number of match reports generated. Countries who do not have a DNA database use this information to demonstrate the success of the United Kingdom Database, to support their case for legislation in their own country for a DNA database.
Requestors are directed to the most recent published NDNAD annual report, thus no figures are kept for the numbers of such requests.
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to her Department of maintaining the national DNA database was in 2007-08. [219144]
Meg Hillier: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 14 August 2008, Official Report, columns 1566-67W.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when she plans to reply to question 198757, tabled by the hon. Member for Wycombe on 31 March 2008, on the role of statutory agencies in the Channel Project; [213421]
(2) when she plans to reply to question 198654, tabled by the hon. Member for Wycombe on 31 March 2008, on discussions with police forces on the setting up of the Channel Project to combat violent extremism; [213422]
(3) when she plans to reply to question 198758, tabled by the hon. Member for Wycombe on 31 March 2008, on areas selected under the Channel Project; [213423]
(4) when she plans to reply to question 198759, tabled by the hon. Member for Wycombe on 31 March 2008, on consultations on the Channel Project; [213424]
(5) when she plans to reply to question 198655, tabled by the hon. Member for Wycombe on 31 March 2008, on her Department’s role in the development of the Channel Project. [213425]
Mr. McNulty: I replied to the hon. Member on 22 July 2008, Official Report, columns 1375-76W.
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when she plans to reply to Question 198751, tabled by the hon. Member for Wycombe on 31 March 2008, on the criteria to be used to determine the effectiveness of the Channel Project to combat violent extremism; [214018]
(2) when she plans to reply to Question 198753, tabled by the hon. Member for Wycombe, on 31 March 2008, on Channel Project expenditure on combating violent extremism; [214019]
(3) when she plans to reply to Question 198755, tabled by the hon. Member for Wycombe on 31 March 2008, on the cost of the Channel Project to combat violent extremism; [214020]
(4) when she plans to reply to Question 198754, tabled by the hon. Member for Wycombe on 31 March 2008, on local community groups that the Channel Project to combat violent extremism plans to fund; [214021]
(5) when she plans to reply to Question 198756, tabled by the hon. Member for Wycombe on 31 March 2008, on the numbers of people employed by the Channel Project to combat violent extremism. [214022]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 26 June 2008]: I replied to the hon. Member on 22 July 2008, Official Report, columns 1375-76W.
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to question 198752 tabled by the hon. Member for Wycombe on 31 March 2008 on discussions with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the Channel project. [214766]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 30 June 2008]: I replied to the hon. Member on 22 July 2008, Official Report, column 1376W.
Passports
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the timetable is for the publication of draft legislation on the procedures for the issue and revocation of passports. [220479]
Meg Hillier: The Government have decided in principle to introduce such legislation but no timetable has yet been set.
Police: Bureaucracy
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Reducing Bureaucracy Awards scheme will continue in 2008; and if she will make a statement. [200386]
Mr. McNulty: The awards scheme will not continue in 2008. The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) now leads the Government's work in this area and is working very closely with forces, authorities and frontline officers and staff to take this work forward.
Jan Berry will shortly take up a new post focussed on providing an independent voice to Government and the service to further improve performance in this area.
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 31 March 2008, Official Report, column 602W, on bureaucracy, what proposals were made by those who received awards; and which police forces have adopted each of those proposals. [200387]
Mr. McNulty: The information requested is as follows:
1st place: Lancashire Constabulary—proposal related to officers no longer responding to requests from the DVLA to seize driving licenses.
Joint 2nd place: Metropolitan Police Service—proposal suggested bar coding prisoners' property when booked into a station.
3rd place: Thames Valley Police—proposal suggested improvements to exchange of data between officers and officials at DWP.
1st place: Gloucestershire Constabulary—proposal suggested digitally recording interviews with suspects.
2nd place: Lancashire Constabulary—proposal suggested taking fingerprints on the street to confirm identity.
3rd place: Greater Manchester Police—proposal suggested detention officers issuing penalty notices for disorder (PND) in custody, under the supervision of a police officer.
1st place: Metropolitan Police Service—proposal suggested automatic self population of originator personal details on electronic forms.
2nd place: Lancashire Constabulary—Proposal suggested the production of a PND direct from the police custody computer as a print out.
Special award: Chief Constable Martin Baker (Dorset Constabulary)—for his work on the .sorted intranet based initiative.
The Home Office does not hold central records for the number of forces which have adopted these proposals.
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who the current National Bureaucracy Adviser on Police Reform is. [219116]
Mr. McNulty: The role of national bureaucracy adviser came to an end in the summer of 2007. The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) now leads the Government's work in this area and is working very closely with forces, authorities and frontline officers and staff to take this work forward.
Jan Berry will shortly take up a new post focussed on providing an independent voice to Government and the service to further improve performance in this area.
Police: Ethnic Groups
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to encourage people from an ethnic minority background to join the police force. [218143]
Mr. McNulty: The Home Office proposal to develop an Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Strategy is set out in Cm 7448 “From the Neighbourhood to National: Policing Our Communities Together” at chapter 4 (4.16-4.24).
Initiatives aimed at encouraging people from minority ethnic backgrounds to join the police force vary from force to force, but include: targeted advertising; mentoring; familiarisation days; and specific training to support candidates who may need assistance with language skills. The Government have encouraged the development of dedicated outreach posts to help forces build sustainable
relationships with communities and encourage applications from those groups who are under represented in the service.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many interview panels for police officer recruits in police forces in England and Wales include a person from an ethnic minority as standard practice. [218144]
Mr. McNulty: The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) is responsible for the design and quality assurance of police officer recruitment across England and Wales. New police officers are selected against national recruitment standards using the Police SEARCHÂ(r) Assessment Centre selection technique. The Assessment Centre is centrally designed and locally delivered by forces using nationally accredited assessors and interviewers. There are currently 236 (12.1 per cent.) minority ethnic assessors on the central database of accredited assessors.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what policies are in place to encourage police officers in England and Wales from an ethnic minority background to apply for senior positions. [218145]
Mr. McNulty: The Home Office proposal to develop an Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Strategy is set out in Cm 7448 “From the Neighbourhood to National: Policing Our Communities Together” at chapter 4 (4.16—4.24). Our general approach to leadership and senior appointments is set out at chapter3.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many and what percentage of police constables in England and Wales are from an ethnic minority; [218154]
(2) how many and what percentage of police officers in England and Wales at a rank above police constable are from an ethnic minority; [218155]
(3) how many and what percentage of (a) special constables and (b) police community support officers in England and Wales are from an ethnic minority; [218156]
(4) how many and what percentage of chief constables in England and Wales are from an ethnic minority; [218157]
(5) how many and what percentage of police commanders in England and Wales are from an ethnic minority. [218158]
Mr. McNulty: The latest available information relates to 31 March 2008 and is given in the following table. Separate information for chief constables and police commanders is not collected centrally so figures for ACPO rank officers are provided instead.
| Number of police officers and staff in post, England and Wales, 31 March 2008( 1) | ||||
| Number in post | ||||
| Measure( 2) | Total | Ethnic minority | Ethnic minority percentage of total | |
| (1) Figures relate to the 43 forces in England and Wales, and exclude British Transport Police and secondments to Central Service organisations. (2) Measures are in terms of full time equivalents (fte), except for special constables where a head count (hc) measure is appropriate. (3) Includes Sergeant, Inspector, Chief Inspector, Superintendent, Chief Superintendent and ACPO ranks. (4) Includes Assistant Chief Constable, Deputy Chief Constable and Chief Constable; in the Metropolitan Police Service, Commander, Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner; in the City of London Police, Commander, Assistant Commissioner and Commissioner. | ||||
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |