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Offensive Weapons: Young People

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many successful prosecutions have been brought against those arrested for the sale of knives to underage persons through commercial premises in (a) England and (b) Wales in the last 10 years; [225731]

(2) how many prosecutions for the sale of knives to underage persons have been brought against commercial premises in (a) England and (b) Wales in the last 10 years; [225732]

(3) how many successful prosecutions have been brought against those arrested for the sale of knives to underage persons through internet sites and mail order companies in (a) England and (b) Wales in the last 10 years; [225733]

(4) how many prosecutions for the sale of knives to underage persons have been brought against internet sites and mail order companies in (a) England and (b) Wales in the last 10 years. [225734]

Mr. Alan Campbell: The available information on prosecutions and convictions for this offence is in the following table. Information does not distinguish individuals prosecuted or convicted. 2007 figures will be published in November 2008. On 1 October 2007 it became illegal to sell a knife to anyone under 18; previously the minimum age was 16.


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Number of prosecutions( 1) and convictions( 2) for offences relating to sale of a knife to a person under 16 years in England, and Wales 1997 to 2006( 3, 4)
England England: of which (i.e. these figures are included in the England figures) are Others (i.e. companies etc) Wales Wales: of which (i.e. these figures are included in the Wales figures) are Others(i.e. companies etc)
Offence description Statute Year Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty

Any person who sells to a person under age of 16 years a knife; knife blade, razor blade, axe and any other article which has a blade, that is sharply pointed and which is made or adapted for use for causing injury to the person.

Criminal Justice Act 1988, sec 141A as added by Offensive Weapons Act 1996, sec 6(1)

1997

2

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

1998

2

2

1

1

0

0

0

0

1999

3

2

1

0

0

0

0

0

2000

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2001

6

5

5

4

3

3

0

0

2002

11

10

7

7

0

0

0

0

2003

15

15

7

7

2

2

1

1

2004

9

7

5

4

2

2

0

0

2005

29

26

8

7

0

0

0

0

2006

62

50

20

16

1

1

0

0

(1) Prosecution data for England and Wales relate to the number of defendants which includes male, female and others.
The Others column shows the number of prosecutions for others (i.e. companies). This figure is already included in the respective areas' figures.
(2) Conviction data for England and Wales relate to the number of defendants which includes male, female and others. The Others column shows the number of convictions for others (i.e. companies). This figure is already included in the respective areas' figures.
(3) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence 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.
(4) 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 police forces and 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.
Source:
Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit

Smuggling: Meat

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal meat imports were seized at port of entry in each of the last three years; what the (a) estimated market value and (b) weight of such seizures was in each year; what assessment she has made of the recent trends in these figures; and if she will make a statement. [227321]

Mr. Woolas: Information on the number and weight of illegal meat seizures at GB points of entry are as follows:

Financial year Number of seizures Total weight (kg)

2005-06

14,698

82,110

2006-07

19,222

73,012

2007-08

14,067

77,230


Anti-smuggling controls on illegal imports of products of animal origin are designed to prevent the introduction of animal disease so the value of goods seized is not relevant in this context and therefore is not recorded.

Customs continue to target the animal products and routes that pose the greatest animal disease risk, taking account of the latest veterinary risk assessments. The increase in seizures in 2006-07 can be attributed to the additional resources deployed to tackle the threat from Avian Influenza during that period. More recently there are also some indications of increased compliance among the travelling public following HMRC’s awareness-raising campaigns.

Terrorism

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the statement of 15 December 2005, Official Report, columns 167-71WS, on counter-terrorism: progress report, what progress has been made on the development of a database of individuals who have demonstrated unacceptable behaviour. [227940]

Mr. Woolas [holding answer 17 October 2008]: Since August 2005, 79 such individuals have to date been excluded from entering this country and placed on the watch list. This is on-going work which is being taken forward in co-operation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Communities and Local Government, police, various community groups, and others who bring to our attention individuals who are considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour.

UK Border Agency: Boats

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the United Kingdom coastline is patrolled at least once a week by maritime craft from (a) the UK Border Agency and (b) other agencies engaged in border patrol. [227524]

Mr. Woolas: UK Border Agency cutters are deployed on an intelligence-led basis to areas of highest risk. It is longstanding policy not to divulge details of operational deployments, as this could provide information of value to those seeking to circumvent relevant controls, thereby prejudicing the prevention of crime.

UKBA does not record details of operations carried out by other agencies involved in border patrols.

UK Border Agency: Land

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) property and (b) land owned by the UK Border Agency is not in full-time use; and what the estimated market value is of each such holding. [227527]


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Mr. Woolas: Bullington (formerly known as Bicester) is the only freehold property which is owned by the UK Border Agency but not in full-time use. No land is in part-time use. Current open market valuation in respect of this property is not available.

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the UK Border Agency expects to pay in rent to (a) other public bodies, (b) local authorities and (c) Government Departments for buildings and land in 2008-09. [227528]

Mr. Woolas: The UK Border and Immigration Agency expects to pay rent of (a) £630,340 to other public bodies; (b) £42,120 to local authorities; and (c) £793,732 to Government Departments for buildings and land in 2008-09.

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) buildings and (b) land are (i) owned and (ii) leased by the UK Border Agency; and how many full-time equivalent staff are based at each. [227529]

Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency owns four detention centres located at Harmondsworth, Colnbrook, Campsfield and Dungavel. 26.5 full-time equivalent staff are employed at these locations.

A further 96 buildings are leased. 17,463 staff are based at these locations.

Details of the numbers of staff based at each location will be published on the UK Border Agency website by the end of the year.

Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform

Business: Yorkshire

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government has taken to improve business development in (a) Leeds and (b) Yorkshire since 2000. [226395]

Mr. McFadden: Since 2000 the Government have helped to ensure business success by promoting the creation and growth of business and a strong enterprise economy across all regions, ensuring that all Government Departments and agencies deliver better regulation for the private, public and third sectors and delivering free and fair markets, with greater competition, for businesses, consumers and employees.

Since 2000 the regional development agencies (RDAs) have been charged with stimulating the economic regeneration of the English regions through regional economic strategies.

The RDA for Yorkshire and the Humber, Yorkshire Forward, working together with local authorities and other regeneration organisations, has supported the building of a stronger, mixed economy that combines a strong service sector with a higher value manufacturing sector, with more people starting their own businesses and new businesses that survive longer. As a result, the
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region’s economy has been transformed following the decline in core traditional industries and recovered well from natural disasters such as foot and mouth in 2001 and flooding in 2007. Latest data to 2006 show it has had consecutive years of growth above the EU average.

Latest statistics show there were over 350,000 businesses in the Yorkshire and the Humber region at the start of 2007, up by 94,000 (37 per cent.) from 256,000 in 2001.

Yorkshire Forward has been leading on the simplification of business support provision in the region. The most significant change for business so far has been the rationalisation of the Business Link network and the development of a single regional gateway to business support (Business Link Yorkshire) that was launched in April 2008. This will significantly reduce the duplication of services, provide greater clarity, and redirect resources into front-line support services for businesses in the region. Yorkshire Forward also plans to make significant changes to its own support mechanisms, to focus on supporting six core programmes of activity that aid the overall start up and growth of a business.

Examples of specific support programmes that have supported business development include:

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