| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
10 Sep 2008 : Column 1983W—continued
Prisons: Racial Violence
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many incidents involving violence or the threat of violence by prisoners have been recorded as motivated by racial or religious prejudice in each prison in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; what the nature of the incident was in each case; and what measures he has put in place to reduce such occurrences. [223350]
Mr. Straw: Information on the number of incidents involving violence or the threat of violence by prisoners which have been recorded as motivated by racial or religious prejudice is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Ministers and the National Offender Management Service are committed to ensuring that violence in prisons is not tolerated in any form. Since 2004, a national strategy has directed every public sector prison to have in place a local violence reduction strategy. This policy has recently been revised and from mid 2007 applied to both the public sector and contracted estate. A whole prison approach is encouraged, engaging all staff, all disciplines and prisoners in challenging unacceptable behaviour, problem-solving and personal safety.
The national Cell Sharing Risk Assessment measure was introduced in June 2002 in response to the death of Zahid Mubarek who was murdered by his cell-mate. The measure assists staff in assessing the risk a prisoner could pose to another prisoner in shared accommodation, based on the information that accompanies the prisoner and through a prisoner interview. The initial assessment will trigger a risk minimisation plan for those identified as high or medium risk followed by a review process.
Recovery of Costs
Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department's accounting office issues on the amount of costs that can be recovered by a litigant from an opponent ordered to pay costs in litigation; and what the duties of the accounting officer are in respect of cost recovery on his Department's behalf. [217294]
Bridget Prentice: The Ministry of Justice's debt management policy states that the Department must ensure that income owed to the Government is collected properly, and that outstanding claims are followed up at frequent and regular intervals. The role of the principal accounting officer is to ensure that the public funds for which he is responsible are properly and well managed and safeguarded.
Supreme Court: Costs
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) original and (b) most recent estimated capital cost for the Supreme Court was. [223234]
Mr. Straw: As announced on 14 June 2007 the estimated capital cost for the construction of the UK Supreme Court is £36.7 million. The capital construction costs will be met over a 30-year period through rental payments of £2.1 million per annum, increasing at a rate of 2.5 per cent. per annum. In addition to this figure, we have undertaken £2 million of repair work (as announced on 3 July 2008). This cost will be paid separately (not part of the rental payments). We will update the House on final costs at the completion of the programme.
Terrorism: Greater London
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the efficiency of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in the time taken to award sums to those injured in the London bombings of 2005; how many claims for such compensation have been submitted; how many have been paid; what the average payment has been; what the average time taken for a payment to be made has been; whether he plans to make a further contribution to the London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund; and if he will make a statement. [223255]
Mr. Straw: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) has offered or paid a full or interim payment to over 96 per cent. of eligible people who have applied for compensation for the 7/7 bombings. As at 4 September 2008, over £7.5 million has been paid out to those injured, with an average payment of £14,200, and an average time of 153 days to resolve the cases. The final total is expected to exceed £10 million.
CICA has received 647 applications for compensation and 585 cases have been resolved. The remaining 62 cases are awaiting full settlement. However, CICA has made a final offer in 16 of these cases and is waiting to see if the offers will be accepted. Of the remaining 46 cases, 31 applicants have either received, or been offered, an interim payment, and 15 cases require further information before a decision can be made.
CICA is aware that it has taken some time for all applications to be settled, but the decisions are among other factors dependent on the receipt of evidence from third parties, which can take time to provide as medical assessments are invariably required. CICA is striving to obtain the information and medical evidence needed to ensure that each applicant receives the full award to which he/she is entitled.
Victims of the London bombings also received substantial sums of money totalling £12 million from the London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund. The Government contributed £3.5 million. The fund has now closed, having completed the job for which it was set up: to distribute the money that was raised by others as quickly as possible to the victims of the 7 July attacks.
Valuation Office: Land Registry
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice further to page 26 of the Valuation Office Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2007-08, HC 583, if he will place in the Library a copy of the agreement with the Land Registry on using information they hold on land transactions. [221268]
Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
The VOA do not have a separate agreement with Land Registry. The VOA are registered users of HM Land Registry's Land Registry Direct website ‘Land Registry Direct Service’, available at:
This is a secure site set up by the HM Land Registry for the public to have access to copies of registers of title.
Young Offenders
Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) qualified social workers, (b) primary teachers, (c) secondary teachers and (d) child psychologists are employed in (i) each young offender institution, (ii) each secure training centre, (iii) each local authority secure children's home and (iv) each immigration removal centre. [221574]
Mr. Hanson: The information is as follows:
The Youth Justice Board (YJB) report that there are currently 15 social workers employed in the 17 Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) and dedicated Prison Service units for young women. There are 33 social workers employed across the four Secure Training Centres (STCs). Information is not held centrally on the number of social workers in Secure Children's Homes (SCHs). Children who are placed in SCHs on welfare grounds will have their own social workers who will visit them at the home.
There are three Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) where families with children are detained. These are Tinsley House, Dungavel (Scotland) and Yarl’s Wood. The main centre for the detention of families is Yarl’s Wood. At Yarl’s Wood there are two qualified social workers. For all three centres, the UK Border Agency works very closely with the local authorities. Where there is no full-time social worker presence, social workers visit detainees if this is required.
Primary and s econdary t eachers
Information on the numbers of primary teachers and secondary teachers employed in all juvenile custodial establishments is not collected centrally. However, the YJB report that across the four STCs, there are seven primary teachers, 64 secondary teachers and also 13 post 16 further education lecturers. In addition, Hassockfield STC employs 10 vocational teachers.
In IRCs where families with children are detained at Yarl’s Wood there are two primary teachers and one secondary teacher. At Dungavel there is one teacher who covers primary and secondary curricula. At Tinsley House there is none of the above.
Information is not collected centrally on the numbers of child psychologists employed in all juvenile custodial establishments. The responsibility for commissioning health services in YOIs in England has been fully devolved to national health service primary care trusts (PCTs) since April 2006. PCTs work with establishments to develop comprehensive health needs assessments of their populations and then commission on the basis of that need. Provision of treatment by child psychologists will therefore differ depending on the locality and on the specific needs of the individual concerned.
The YJB report the following information for the 4STCs:
Medway STC—receive the consultation services from a clinical child psychologist. In addition there are also clinics from a consultant psychiatrist and two full-time psychology assistants.
Rainsbrook STC—have one child psychologist along with three psychology assistants.
Oakhill STC—have one full-time forensic psychologist. In addition they have one full-time assistant forensic psychologist, one session counselling psychologist, one session consulting psychiatrist and, one full day mental health specialist nurse from the local CAMHS unit.
Hassockfield STC—receive sessional work from a consulting psychologist. In addition, they have two full-time assistant psychologists, two full-time assistant psychologists, two sessional counselling psychologists, one session consulting psychiatrist one sessional educational psychologist, and one half day mental health specialist nurse from the local CAMHS unit.
There are no child psychologists in the three IRCs which hold families with children. However, each IRC must ensure that arrangements are in place for detainees to have a physical and mental examination by the medical practitioner within 24-hours of their arrival at the removal centre.
Young Offenders: Restraint Techniques
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many children (a) in secure accommodation and (b) who left secure accommodation in the last 12 months were interviewed as part of the review of restraint commissioned by his Department; [220925]
(2) how many children (a) currently in young offender institutions, secure training centres and local authority secure accommodation and (b) who left young offender institutions, secure training centres and local authority secure accommodation in the last 12 months were interviewed as part of the review of restraint commissioned by his Department; [221073]
(3) how many members of staff, at what level of employment, working in young offender institutions, secure training centres or local authority secure accommodation were interviewed as part of his Department’s review of restraint in secure juvenile accommodation. [221074]
Mr. Hanson: We intend to publish the review’s methodology when we publish the report of the review. We plan to do this by the end of October.
Young Offenders: Yorkshire and the Humber
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps are being taken in (a) Leeds and (b) Yorkshire and Humberside to reduce the number of offenders imprisoned under the age of 14 years; and if he will make a statement. [220703]
Mr. Hanson: Steps are being taken across the country to reduce the number of young people in custody. We have greatly strengthened and expanded the range of pre-court diversions and community sentences available for the police and courts, including those in Leeds and Yorkshire and Humberside, to use when dealing with young people who have offended. The Government's Youth Crime Action Plan, which was published on 15 July, builds on this by setting out cross-Government arrangements for tackling offending and re-offending by young people.
For a small minority of young people who commit serious offences, custody is the only appropriate response to what has occurred and the only means of protecting the public.
Any offender aged 14 or under who is sentenced to custody is accommodated in a secure training centre or secure children's home. These have high staffing ratios, a child-centred approach and a particular emphasis on education.
Communities and Local Government
Bexley
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to visit the London Borough of Bexley. [223122]
John Healey: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no current plans to visit the London borough of Bexley.
Council Tax
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the practicality of establishing additional council tax bands in England in the absence of a revaluation exercise; and what advice she has received from (a) the Lyons inquiry team and (b) the Valuation Office Agency on the matter in the last two years. [223139]
John Healey: The report of the Lyons inquiry “Place-shaping: a shared ambition for the future of local government”, discusses at Chapter 7 the practicality of establishing additional council tax bands in the absence of a revaluation exercise. A copy of the chapter is available at:
No separate advice has been received from the Valuation Office Agency.
The Government made their position clear on this issue in their press notice of 21 March 2007, which responded to the Lyons inquiry report. A copy of the press notice is available at:
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers of entry local authorities have to ascertain the validity of claims for council tax (a) exemptions and (b) discounts. [223140]
John Healey: The legislative framework governing the council tax system does not provide local authorities with powers of entry in order to validate claims for council tax exemptions or discounts.
Eco-towns: Leicestershire
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many hectares of green wedge designated land will be developed through (a) housing and (b) non-housing development in the proposed Pennbury eco-town site. [223414]
Caroline Flint: Information that has been provided to us by the promoter in relation to the Pennbury proposal does not set out how many hectares of green wedge designated land will be developed for housing and non-housing development. We have therefore written to the promoter to seek this information based on their current plans, and I will write to the hon. Member with this information when we have obtained it.
Empty Property: Kent
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of commercial premises likely to be demolished in Kent as a result of the changes in empty property rates in 2008. [223250]
John Healey: An impact assessment detailing the likely effects of the empty property reforms was published by Communities and Local Government in May 2007 accompanying the introduction of the Rating (Empty Properties) Bill and a further assessment was laid before this House on the 26 February accompanying the Non-Domestic Rating (Unoccupied Property) (England) Regulations 2008—Number: 386.
Empty Property: Regeneration
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations her Department and its agencies have received from urban regeneration companies on the effect of increases in empty property business rates on regeneration. [223316]
John Healey: The Department is not aware of receiving any recent representations from the Urban Regeneration Companies regarding empty property rates.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the new empty property business rates tax on regeneration schemes. [223317]
John Healey: An impact assessment detailing the likely impact of the empty property reforms was published by Communities and Local Government in May 2007 accompanying the introduction of the Rating (Empty Properties) Bill and a further assessment was laid before this House on the 26 February accompanying the Non-Domestic Rating (Unoccupied Property) (England) Regulations 2008—Number: 386.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |