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25 Nov 2008 : Column 1248W—continued
Drugs: Crime
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crack house closures there were in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire in the last three years. [238100]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 introduced the provision for police to serve a closure notice on any premises that is believed by the police to be used for the production, supply or use of Class A drugs, and which is causing serious nuisance or disorder.
The Home Office collects data on the number of closure orders issued through the CDRP Survey, and police forces supply these data on a voluntary basis. Latest available data from this survey are consolidated to cover the period from October 2003 to September 2007 and show that in the Hertfordshire police force area 14 such orders have been served.
It is not possible to further break down data to constituency level (i.e. Hemel Hempstead) as this level of detail is not held centrally.
Entry Clearances: Biometrics
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of (a) the likely period of time it will take a police constable to check a person's biometric visa against the Border and Immigration Agency's database and (b) the technology requirements needed by police forces to check the identity of a person with a biometric visa. [192453]
Mr. Coaker: There is currently no facility for police officers to check the holder of a biometric visa (Identity card) against the United Kingdom Border Agency database. An assessment of the technology requirements to develop such a capability has not taken place.
Entry Clearances: Telephone Services
Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average response time to a call to the MP hotline dealing with visa cases was in the last 12 months. [237630]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 20 November 2008]: The vast majority of calls on the MPs hotline to our Visa Services Directorate in the last 12 months have been answered either immediately or within 24 hours. Unfortunately, some delays did occur in October due to a shortage of staff.
Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of calls to the MP hotline dealing with visa cases (a) were answered by a person and (b) went to a voice message answering machine in the last 12 months. [237631]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 20 November 2008]: Records held by Visa Services Directorate’s of calls to the MPs hotline do not show whether the calls were answered immediately or after receipt of a voicemail message. However, the directorate has advised that the majority of calls are answered immediately. If the MPs hotline is engaged, calls are diverted to a voicemail facility and messages are answered within 24 hours.
Football: Arrests
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when statistics on football-related arrests and banning orders for 2007-08 will be published. [234307]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 10 November 2008]: These statistics will be published on 25 November 2008.
Genetics: Databases
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of recorded crimes were detected using DNA from the National DNA database in each month since it became operational; and if she will make a statement. [190211]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The number and proportion of recorded crimes detected in which a DNA match was available is shown in table 1. Data on the number of crimes detected with a DNA match are not collected on a monthly basis; and the figures are therefore presented by year. The figures provided are for the years 2002-03 to 2007-08, as the recorded crime figures before and after 2002-03 are not directly comparable.
The figures for the number of crimes detected in which a DNA match was available only include crimes detected in which a DNA match was reported by the National DNA Database (NDNAD). They do not include DNA matches which arise through case work in serious crime, which usually involve comparing DNA profiles in a forensic laboratory; this data is not collected centrally. It is also important to note that the detections are achieved through integrated criminal investigation, not through DNA alone.
The presentation of crimes detected with DNA as a proportion of total recorded crime undervalues the relative contribution of DNA to the crime detection rate. It should be noted that the majority of recorded crimes do not have a crime scene (for example, minor assault, drugs offences, theft, fraud etc.) and do not have a crime scene examination. In 2007-08, just over 854,000 crimes had a crime scene examination (17 per cent. of recorded crimes). In those crimes which have a crime scene examination, some do not yield any forensic material (DNA or fingerprints). In 2007-08, potential DNA material was collected at 102,400 crimes; and of these, 41,800 crimes yielded DNA crime scene samples of sufficient quantity and quality for profiling and loading to the NDNAD. Of the 41,800 crimes in which a crime scene sample profile was loaded, a match was generated in 37,375 crimes (this represents 89 per cent. of crimes where DNA material was loaded to the NDNAD).
The proportion of ‘crimes detected in which a DNA match was available’, of those, ‘crimes where potential DNA material was collected’ is shown in table 2.
| Table 1 | |||||
| Detected crimes in which a DNA match was available (‘DNA detections’) | Additional detections arising from the DNA match( 1) | Total detected crimes in which a DNA match was available or played a part | Total recorded crime( 2) | Proportion of ‘total crimes detected in which a DNA match was available or played a part’ of total recorded crime (Percentage) | |
| (1) Additional detections may result from the original crime with the DNA match due to the identification of further offences through forensic linkage or through admission by the offender. (2) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in 2002-03 and figures before and after that date are not directly comparable. | |||||
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people there are on the national DNA database, broken down by (a) local authority area, (b) ethnicity and (c) sex; [235500]
(2) how many people have asked to have their profile removed from the national DNA database; and how many requests have been refused. [235501]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Information held on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) is available on the basis of the police force which added the DNA profile, not the local authority area. For a breakdown of the NDNAD by police force and ethnicity, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green(Lynne Featherstone) on 27 October 2008, Official Report, columns 677-9W.
A breakdown of the NDNAD by sex, as at 30 September 2008, is given in the table. 'Unassigned' means that the police officer who took the sample did not record the individual's sex. The number of profiles is not the same as the number of individuals. This is because a number of subject profiles on the NDNAD are replicates, that is, a profile for a person has been loaded to the NDNAD on more than one occasion. This may arise for a number of reasons, such as a person giving a different name on different occasions they are arrested, or because of the upgrading of profiles. It is estimated that 13.3 per cent. of the subject profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates.
In relation to the number of people who have requested the removal of their record from the NDNAD, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 2 July 2008, Official Report, columns 909-10W.
| Sex | Subject Profiles | Estimated Individuals |
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people resident in (a) Greater Manchester, (b) Cumbria, (c) Cheshire, (d) Lancashire and (e) Merseyside have their profile stored on the national DNA database, broken down by ethnicity. [236751]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Information held on the national DNA database (NDNAD) is recorded on the basis of the police force which took the DNA sample. Thus figures for any particular police force include residents from outside the force area arrested and sampled by the police force, and exclude residents in the force area who were arrested and sampled by police forces elsewhere.
The number of profiles is not the same as the number of individuals. This is because a number of subject profiles on the NDNAD are replicates, that is a profile for a person has been loaded to the NDNAD on more than one occasion. This may arise for a number of reasons, such as a person giving a different name on different occasions they are arrested, or because of upgrading of profiles. It is estimated that 13.3 per cent. of the subject profiles held on the entire NDNAD are replicates. However, this rate may vary between police forces, so figures for the number of individuals are not given for particular police forces.
Ethnicity is recorded on the basis of the judgment of the police officer taking the sample as to which of six broad ethnic appearance categories the person belongs to. ‘Unknown’ means that no ethnic appearance information was recorded by the officer taking the sample.
| Force | Ethnic appearance | Subject profiles retained at 17 November 2008 |
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