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16 Oct 2008 : Column 1444W—continued
| Table 2: Police officers( 1) (FTE)( 2) per 100,000 of the population for Chesterfield basic command unit, as at 31 March 2003 to 31 March 2008 | |
| As at 31 March: | FTE |
| (1) This table is based on full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Figures include those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. | |
Police: Mass Media
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what her policy is on the disclosure of details of criminal activity by the police to the media; [226734]
(2) how many police forces have introduced policies of withholding reports of criminal activities from the media; and if she will make a statement; [226735]
(3) whether she has advised chief constables that reports of criminal activities should not be disclosed to the media; [226737]
(4) how many representations she has received on the decision of Essex Police not to make reports of criminal activities available to the media. [226738]
Mr. Alan Campbell: These issues are related to operational matters that are the responsibility of the chief constable of the force concerned. The Home Office has received no representations and made no recommendations. If there are particular concerns about force policy in this area they should be raised with the chief constable.
Road Traffic Offences: Foreigners
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-UK residents have committed motoring offences which, had they been committed by UK residents, would have resulted in (a) a fixed penalty being issued and (b) penalty points being added to a driving licence, excluding those offences pursuable under the provisions of the European Arrest Warrant, in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [226724]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Motoring offence statistics do not identify the place of residence of those offered fixed penalties or whose licences are endorsed by court order. The offer of a fixed penalty, whether or not accompanied by penalty points, is not automatic, but a matter of police operational discretion in every case. If a case goes to court and is endorsable the court will decide the number of penalty points to be endorsed, within the scale prescribed for the offence, or may decide for special reasons not to order endorsement.
Security Guards: Licensing
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many convictions under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 for supplying unlicensed security staff there were in the North Wales Police force area in 2006; [226691]
(2) how many convictions under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 for working in a licensable role without a Security Industry Agency licence there were in the North Wales Police force area in 2006. [226692]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 13 October 2008]: There were no convictions in the North Wales Police force area for the offence of supplying unlicensed security staff under section 5 of the Act in 2006.
In 2006 there were seven convictions in the North Wales Police force area under section 3 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 for working in a licensable role without a Security Industry Agency licence.
UK Border Agency: Corruption
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms are in place in the UK Border Agency to prevent staff corruption. [226144]
Mr. Woolas:
There are a range of measures in place in the UK Border Agency to prevent staff corruption. These include pre-employment and security screening for staff, safeguards, checks and balances built into systems
and processes and a programme of security audits. It is not in the public interest to disclose specific details of these mechanisms as to do so would compromise them.
UK Border Agency: Marketing
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on changing (a) signage and (b) other branded external and internal fittings at UK Border Agency buildings and airport facilities. [226055]
Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency has not kept central records of expenditure on changes to signage and other external fittings. To attempt to provide a composite figure would represent a disproportionate cost to the Department.
UK Border Agency: Security
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many electronic breaches of security there were at the UK Border Agency in each of the last three years. [226145]
Mr. Woolas: It is not in the interests of the UK's national security for Departments to confirm whether they hold information about attacks against their IT systems. This would enable individuals to deduce how successful the UK is in detecting these attacks and so assist such persons in testing the effectiveness of the UK's IT defences. This is not in the public interest.
UK Border Agency: Surveys
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to assess staff morale at all grades within the UK Border Agency; and if she will publish the results of any such assessment. [226059]
Mr. Woolas: Managers in the UK Border Agency use a wide range of methods to assess staff morale, and to hear their views on practical changes which would improve motivation and performance. These include regular conversations with direct reports and with whole teams throughout the line management chain; programmes of visits to and discussions with frontline staff; and a variety of fora hosted on the Department's intranet whereby staff can post their views and get responses from Board members and other senior managers.
The management also hold regular meetings with the recognised trade unions at all levels.
In common with other Departments, the Home Office including the UK Border Agency, carries out a regular survey of staff attitudes and engagement. The results of the most recent survey are available to staff on the intranet, and will be published on the Cabinet Office public website in the next month.
UK Border Agency: Uniforms
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on the (a) design and commissioning and (b) manufacturing of uniforms for the UK Border Agency and its predecessors in each of the last five years. [226053]
Mr. Woolas: We are not yet in a position to provide the cost of the design, manufacture and distribution of uniforms for the UK Border Agency. We are currently scoping the requirements for a single uniform for frontline officers. The costs will be dependent on the commercial and procurement solutions delivered.
In 2006-07, the Home Department spent (inclusive of VAT) £16,017.00 on the provision of uniforms for frontline operational staff at the border; £970,001.14 in 2007-08 and £192,384.24 in 2008 to date.
Vetting
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) Criminal Records Bureau and (b) Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau checks were conducted in each year for which figures are available. [226612]
Meg Hillier: The number of Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks which have been dispatched since the CRB's inception are detailed in the following table and separated by the two types of checks that the CRB currently offer, standard or enhanced disclosures:
| Disclosures dispatched | ||
| Financial year | Number of standard disclosures | Number of enhanced disclosures |
Health
Action on Smoking and Health: Finance
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he takes to audit funding provided to Action on Smoking and Health by his Department to determine what proportion is used to lobby his Department; [227446]
(2) how many meetings (a) he, (b) his ministerial colleagues and (c) his officials have had on the future of tobacco control with (i) charities, (ii) professional bodies, (iii) retail businesses and (iv) manufacturers in the last three years; which of the charities with which meetings have been held are funded by his Department; and in each case how much funding has been allocated to each charity. [227447]
Dawn Primarolo: Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) received funding from the Department in the current financial year in accordance with the 'Section 64 General Scheme of Grants to voluntary and Community Organisations'. The standard conditions attached to these grants including audit procedures are published on the Department's website at:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/managingyourorganisation/Financeand planning/Section64grants/DH_076281
ASH has received this grant specifically to carry out a defined project entitled “Capitalising on Smokefree: the way forward”. None of this funding is to be used for lobbying purposes.
The Department has completed a public consultation on 31 May 2008 on the future of tobacco control. This consultation was carried out in accordance with the Cabinet office code of practice. A copy of the, consultation document has already been placed in the Library.
Meetings have taken place at all levels of the Department, and at regional and local level. No central record has been kept of all the meetings held with the organisations listed and with other stakeholders. The consultation has received over 95,000 responses and these are being analysed.
In due course a summary of the analysis of responses will be published on the Department's website. A large number of charitable organisations will have been involved in responding to the consultation. Details of the funding of those organisations attending meetings or taking part in this consultation have not been collected in the form requested. There will continue to be meetings with interested stakeholders at all appropriate levels, as a future strategy is developed to tackle the death and disease caused by smoking.
Breast Cancer: Screening
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government has in place to ensure that there are appropriate resources and infrastructure for all breast screening units to have at least one full-field digital mammography set by 2010, as stated in the Cancer Reform Strategy. [226282]
Ann Keen: Primary care trusts are responsible for ensuring that all local breast screening units have at least one full-field digital mammography set by 2010. The rollout of digital mammography to the NHS Breast Screening Programme is being supported by a capital investment of approximately £120 million. This money has been allocated to trusts as part of the wider capital funding allocation they receive.
As a result of requests from local breast screening services, we have put in place a national framework contract for digital mammography X-ray equipment. This approach will enable standardised equipment to be purchased, the best value for money to be obtained, and will support local services with national expertise. Further details on how this will be taken forward will be issued to the national health service in the autumn.
Cancer: Children
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what childhood cancer centres there are in England; and how many (a) patients under treatment, (b) consultant medical staff and (c) clinical nurse specialists there are at each. [226143]
Ann Keen: The Department does not collect this data centrally.
With regard to staff, it is for local employers to work in partnership with cancer networks, strategic health authorities, national health service trusts and post graduate deaneries to put in place a sustainable process to access, plan and review their workforce needs against local and national priorities for cancer.
Care Homes
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the availability of residential care home places in (a) Bexley, (b) London and (c) England. [225924]
Phil Hope: We were informed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that the total numbers of residential care homes and places, as at 10 September 2008, were as shown in the following table. It should be noted that the figures shown are the total number of registered homes and places on the date shown. Information on occupancy levels and vacancy rates in care homes is not collected centrally.
| Numbers of care homes and registered places | ||
| Area | All care homes | Registered places |
| Source: CSCI registration and inspection database | ||
Cervical Cancer
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to increase the detection rates for cervical cancers in women under 25 years old. [226880]
Ann Keen: The incidence of cervical cancer in women under the age of 25 is very rare. In 2005, only 1.9 per cent. of all registrations of cervical cancer were in women aged under 25 and there were no deaths from cervical cancer in that age group.
Any women under 25 who are concerned about their risk of developing cervical cancer should contact their general practitioner or genito-urinary medicine clinic to discuss the matter.
In September 2008, we introduced a human papillomavirus immunisation programme to routinely vaccinate girls aged 12-13 years. Young women aged 17-18 will also be offered the vaccination during the current school year, and a catch-up of girls up to the age of 18 will commence next autumn. As the vaccine offers protection against the two virus types that cause 70 per cent. of all cervical cancers, we expect this immunisation programme to reduce cervical cancer rates in England over time. Experts estimate that the programme will save 400 lives a year.
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