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26 Jan 2009 : Column 104W—continued
Prostitution: New Zealand
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will visit New Zealand to assess the effects of the legislation which decriminalised prostitution in that country. [247527]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Government recently published the findings of a review that considered what action could be taken to tackle the demand for prostitution. As part of this review, Ministers considered research into the experience of different countries including New Zealand. Ministers conducted fact-finding visits to both the Netherlands and Sweden. There are no plans for further ministerial visits to other countries in relation to this matter.
Prostitution: Rape
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there were for rape in cases where the victim worked as a prostitute in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007 and (d) 2008. [247524]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The information requested is not available centrally. The data held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on court proceedings do not contain information about the circumstances behind each case beyond the description provided in the statute under which prosecutions are brought. It is therefore not possible to identify rape offences where the victim was a prostitute.
Theft: Hillingdon
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of (a) theft and (b) burglary have been reported in (i) Greater London, (ii) the London Borough of Hillingdon and (iii) Uxbridge constituency in each year since 1997. [250771]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The available data relate to recorded offences in the Metropolitan Police Service area and the Hillingdon basic command unit. Data at basic command unit level for theft and burglary are only available from 1999-2000. Data for Uxbridge are not collected centrally.
| Table 1: Recorded offences of theft and burglary in the Metropolitan Police Service area and in the Hillingdon basic command unit—2000-01 to 2001-02( 1) | ||||
| Metropolitan Police | Hillingdon | |||
| Theft offences( 2) | Burglary offences | Theft offences( 2) | Burglary offences | |
| (1) 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. (2) Includes offences against vehicles and other theft offences. | ||||
| Table 2: Recorded offences of theft and burglary in the Metropolitan Police Service area and in the Hillingdon basic command unit—2002-03 to 2007-08( 1) | ||||
| Metropolitan Police | Hillingdon | |||
| Theft offences( 2) | Burglary offences | Theft offences( 2) | Burglary offences | |
| (1) The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years. (2) Includes offences against vehicles and other theft offences. | ||||
Tobacco: Young People
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people (a) were prosecuted, (b) were cautioned and (c) received a penalty notice for disorder for selling cigarettes to an under age person in the last 12 months. [248643]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The number of persons proceeded against and cautioned for selling cigarettes to an under age person in 2007 (latest published) are given in the following table.
The statistics 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 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.
The Penalty Notice for Disorder scheme currently does not extend to the offence of selling cigarettes to an under age person.
| Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and cautioned( 1) for selling cigarettes to an under age person, England and Wales, 2007( 2, 3, 4) | ||
| Proceeded against | Cautioned | |
| (1) From 1 June 2000, the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (2) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time, the principal offence is the more serious offence. (3) The proceeded against 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 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. Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit, Office for Criminal Justice Reform. | ||
UK Border Agency: Manpower
Mr. Paul Goodman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK Border Agency staff are employed in managing the Refugee Integration Strategy; how many she estimates will be employed in 2009-10 and 2010-11; how much that strategy is expected
to cost in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11; and if she will make a statement. [245683]
Meg Hillier: The UK Border Agency is intending to publish a refugee integration strategy early in 2009. The strategy will confirm Government commitment to supporting refugees through integration and resettlement. The cost of developing the document and of any subsequent delivery activity will be resourced from existing provision for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11.
Communities and Local Government
Catz Club
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether (a) her Department, (b) its predecessor and (c) its agencies have provided funding to the charity (i) Catz Club and (ii) Schoolfriend in the last five years. [250350]
Mr. Khan: The Department, its predecessor and its agencies have not provided funding to the charity (i) Catz Club and (ii) Schoolfriend in the last five years.
Community Relations: Finance
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much of the £3 million innovation and challenge fund she announced on 10 December 2008 will be allocated in 2009-10 and 2010-11; what the criteria for awarding grants will be; what the maximum grant size is expected to be; who will administer the fund; what the annual administration costs of the fund are expected to be; how grants from the fund will be evaluated; and if she will make a statement. [249588]
John Healey: The £3 million challenge and innovation fund is for the financial year 2009-10 only. The criteria for awarding grants; the maximum grant size; fund administration; annual administration costs; and grants evaluation will be published in due course.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent on (a) maintaining, (b) decorating and (c) otherwise improving departmental buildings in each year since the Department's inception; how much has been spent on wallpaper in that time; and what plans there are for further spending on departmental decoration. [248804]
Mr. Khan: Expenditure by Communities and Local Government on maintaining, decorating and improving departmental buildings is shown in the following table:
| CLG: Maintenance, Decorating, Improvements | |
| Total costs (£) | |
CLG does not record how much is spent on wallpaper.
Plans for further spending on departmental decoration are currently under review.
Departmental Catering
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what (a) directly-operated and (b) franchised catering outlets her Department and its agencies provide for staff. [249069]
Mr. Khan: In relation to CLG's London HQ buildings, a staff restaurant service is provided at Eland House and a snack bar service is provided at Ashdown House. These are non-subsidised, directly-operated outlets provided by Mitie PLC as part of the Department's Integrated Facility Management contract.
In relation to CLG agencies, staff catering services for the Planning Inspectorate at Temple Quay House, Bristol and the Fire Service College at Moreton in Marsh, are provided on a non-subsidised, directly-operated basis as part of the facility management contracts for those premises with Eurest and Operon respectively.
In relation to the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, the catering concession holder, Leith's, provides a non-subsidised, directly-operated canteen facility for all staff working at the Centre.
Departmental Pay
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at her Department and its agencies in (a) 2007 and (b) 2008; and what was spent on such bonuses in each of those years. [249855]
Mr. Khan: The numbers of bonuses paid to all senior civil service staff and the cost of these in 2008 and 2007 are given in the following table:
| Senior civil servants (SCS) | Number of bonuses | Cost of bonuses (£) |
The bonuses are non-consolidated, non-pensionable cash payments that reward excellent performance during the year, based on a judgment of how well an individual has performed relative to their peers. Senior civil service staff members are assessed against a range of factors, such as:
The achievement of their prime objective which focuses on the way in which they lead, manage and develop their staff;
Degree to which business objectives are met;
Delivery for Ministers;
Demonstration of skills such as judgment, leadership and the PSG skills;
Effective resource management
Details of bonuses paid in the Department’s agencies are not held centrally.
Departmental Personnel
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 18 June 2008, Official Report, column 948W, on departmental personnel, what the current figure is for staff without posts or in the career transition centre or in a people action team in (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) each of the Government Offices for the Regions; how many of the staff without posts were classified as such after returning from maternity leave; and how many of the staff without posts have been classified as such for (i) at least six months and (ii) at least 12 months. [250541]
Mr. Khan: My information is that there are currently no staff without posts in my Department, its agencies or the Government offices.
Fire Services: Contracts
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 10 December 2008, Official Report, column 196W, on public sector: contracts, whether general break clauses have been included in the contracts for regional fire control rooms. [250280]
Mr. Khan: Break clauses are not included in the contracts for regional control rooms for reasons of national resilience and to provide continuous public service.
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