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15 Dec 2008 : Column 528W—continued
Police Authorities
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration she has given to the direct election of members of police authorities; and if she will make a statement. [242982]
Mr. Coaker: The Policing Green Paper sets out proposals for the direct election of Crime and Policing Representatives (CPRs) to ensure that the police are tackling the priorities that most concern local people and that people know who to hold to account, how and when.
Police Raids
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many raids have been carried out by police on private homes between the hours of midnight and 5:00 am with no charges being brought on the direction of the family courts in the last 12 months. [241978]
Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
Family courts do not have the power to make a direction to order a police raid.
Prostitution
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many brothels have been raided in England and Wales in each of the last three years, broken down by region. [240574]
Mr. Alan Campbell: This information is not centrally collated.
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the average age of people first entering into prostitution in the latest period for which information is available; and upon what research her Department's calculations are based. [241129]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Government's consultation paper on prostitution, Paying the Price, provides a summary of research on the age of first involvement in prostitution. This paper is available at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/paying_ the_price.pdf?view=Binary.
Racial Harassment
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints of racial abuse relating to staff for which her Department is responsible have been (a) investigated and (b) upheld in the last 12 months. [240929]
Mr. Woolas: During the last 12 months (for the period 1 November 2007 to 31 October 2008) the Home Office, including the UK Border Agency, the Identity and Passport Service and the Criminal Records Bureau, received fewer than five official complaints of racial discrimination or racial harassment from staff against their colleagues. Further information is therefore withheld on grounds of confidentiality.
All employees have a duty to respect the dignity of others at work, be mindful of the effect their behaviour may have on colleagues, and ensure their own conduct does not breach the provisions of the Home Office bullying, harassment and discrimination policy.
Under the policy, line managers are responsible for maintaining a workplace that is free from bullying, harassment and discrimination, confronting unacceptable behaviour wherever it arises.
Speed Limits: Motorcycles
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the Answer of 18 November 2008, Official Report, column 269W, on speed limits: motorcycles, whether the ability to read rear licence plates on motorcycles is a requirement of the type approval process for average speed cameras. [242282]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The technical requirements which an average speed camera has to satisfy before it can be considered for type approval are set out in the Manual Distance/Time Speedmeter Handbook and the Automatic Distance/Time Speedmeter Handbook, published by the HO Scientific Development Branch and available on the HO website at:
There is no specific requirement in respect of motorcycles or any other individual type of vehicle, since the cameras are intended to monitor vehicles of all types. The operational tests which devices undergo involve their use in a variety of locations and conditions and in respect of a random range of vehicle types.
Theft: Greater London
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of theft or burglary have been reported in (a) London and (b) Bexley in each year since 1997. [243058]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The available information relates to offences of theft and burglary recorded by the police. Figures for the London region and the Bexley Basic Command Unit are given in the following tables. Data for theft and burglary at Basic Command Unit level are only available from 2001-02.
| Table 1: Offences of theft and burglary recorded by police—1997 | ||
| Number of offences | ||
| Theft | Burglary | |
| (1 )Not available. | ||
| Table 2: Offences of theft and burglary recorded by police—199 8 -99 to 2001-02 | ||
| Number of offences | ||
| Theft | Burglary | |
| (1) Not available. Notes: 1. The coverage was extended and counting rules revised from 1998-99. Figures from that date are not directly comparable with those for 1997. 2. The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years. | ||
War Crimes: Entry Clearances
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mr. Crabb) of 13 November 2008, Official Report, column 1345W, on crimes against humanity: entry clearances, how many cases considered by the war crimes team have been referred to the Metropolitan Police. [241206]
Mr. Woolas: Since 2005, the war crimes team in the UK Border Agency has referred 22 cases to the Metropolitan Police for inquiry.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mr. Crabb) of 13 November 2008, Official Report, column 1345W, on crimes against humanity: entry clearances, in how many of the cases where applicants have been refused refugee status following recommendations by the war crimes team the applicant has been granted discretionary leave and remains in the United Kingdom. [241207]
Mr. Woolas: The Case Information Database records three applicants who, following a recommendation from the war crimes team, have been refused asylum under Article 1F(a) of the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees since October 2007 and who have also been granted discretionary leave. The Case Information Database is not designed to track whether individuals granted leave to remain are currently present in the United Kingdom.
These figures are not provided under national statistics protocols and have been derived from management information which is provisional and subject to change. Prior to this period data could be obtained only at disproportionate cost through the examination of individual case records.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mr. Crabb) of 13 November 2008, Official Report, column 1345W, on crimes against humanity: entry clearances, how many cases investigated by the war crimes team involved those who were refused (a) naturalisation and (b) indefinite leave to remain and who remain resident in UK territory. [241208]
Mr. Woolas: The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records, or by undertaking further inquiries, at disproportionate cost.
Wildlife: Crime
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department provides to police forces on the investigation of offences involving cruelty to badgers. [242013]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Government believe that the cruel treatment of badgers is unacceptable and have put in place comprehensive legislation including the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, to protect them. The Government also provide funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit, which provides advice for police forces on the detection and investigation of wildlife crime. The police have primary responsibility for the investigation and enforcement of offences against badgers and all forces have officers who have responsibility for investigating wildlife offences.
The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences relating to the Protection of Badgers Act, sections 1(1), 1(3), 2(1)(a), 2(1)(c), 4, 5, and 10 (8), for the years 2003 to 2007 can be viewed in the table.
These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the
offence selected is the one 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.
Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
| The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the Protection for Badgers Act 1992, sections 1(1), 1(3), 2(1)(a), 2(1)(c), 4, 5, and 10 (8) in England and Wales for the years 2003 to 2007( 1, 2, 3, 4) | ||
| Proceeded against | Found guilty | |
| (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2 )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 the courts, and police forces. 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. (3) Includes the following statutes and corresponding offence descriptions: Wilfully killing badger Wilfully injuring badger Wilfully taking badger Wilfully attempting to kill badger Wilfully attempting to injure badger Wilfully attempting to take badger Ill-treating badger Digging for badger Selling live badger Offering to sell live badger Unlawfully marking badger Unlawfully attaching ring tag or marking device to badger Possessing or controlling thing derived from dead badger Possessing or controlling live badger Failing to comply with condition of licence. Source: OCJR—E & A: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit. | ||
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