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24 Feb 2009 : Column 694W—continued
Sexual Offences: Victim Support Schemes
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local authorities have a specialist support service for women who have suffered sexual violence. [255616]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Government do not collect this information.
Stop and Search
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2009, Official Report, column 1252W, on stop and search, how many of the resultant arrests were (a) made under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2000, (b) of people aged 18 years or under and (c) of people aged 18 years or under and made under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2000. [256434]
Mr. Coaker: Information on the number of persons arrested under terrorism legislation and for other reasons following stops and searches under section 44 (sections 1 and 2) of the Terrorism Act 2000, from 1999-2000 to 2006-07 (latest available) are provided in the following table. It is not possible to separately identify arrests under the Terrorism Act 2000 from other terrorism legislation from the information reported to the Home Office.
The data on stops and searches under terrorism legislation reported to the Home Office do not separately identify the age of persons searched.
Terrorism
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the possible effects of the Israeli military attack on Gaza on future levels of terrorism in the UK. [248497]
Mr. Coaker: The Home Office does not conduct assessments into the threat from international terrorism.
The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) is responsible for analysing all-source intelligence on the activities, intentions and capabilities of international terrorists who may threaten UK and allied interests worldwide.
Its responsibilities include setting and analysing the threat level for international Terrorism to the UK and its assets, and providing detailed reports on trends, terrorist networks and capabilities.
More information on JTAC can be found here:
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on the (a) prepare, (b) prevent, (c) protect and (d) pursue strands of the Contest counter-terrorism strategy in each of the last three years. [254793]
Mr. Coaker: The £2.5 billion Counter Terrorism and Intelligence budget supports a wide range of activities broader than the Contest strategy. In many cases within the Home Office those activities are in support of more than one strand and details spent under each strand is not currently available.
Terrorism: Internet
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK-based websites have been closed down because they contained extremist material inciting terrorism in the last five years. [254791]
Mr. Coaker:
The legislation that allows a request to be made that unlawfully terrorism-related material is modified or removed from the internet is section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2006. Section 3 allows for the service of a notice by a constable where he or she is of the opinion that unlawfully terrorism-related material is available on an electronic service such as a website, on
the person(s) responsible for that material. The notice requires that the unlawfully terrorism-related material is removed or modified within two working days.
However, the preferred route of the police is to use informal contact with the communication service providers to request that the material is removed. To date no Section 3 notices have been issued as this informal route has proved effective but statistics covering the number of sites removed through such informal contact are not collected.
Theft: Motor Vehicles
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions her Department has had on the potential of stolen vehicle slowdown technology to assist in stopping vehicles; and if she will make a statement. [256993]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) is currently undertaking a range of work to identify new means of stopping vehicles. Investigation of existing products has found no commercial off-the-shelf solution that would meet police needs. HOSDB is therefore now looking at different technologies that might be used. The objective is to provide the police with equipment that meets their needs, is safe, affordable and is proportionate to the safety threat posed by a vehicle that has refused to stop and is under police pursuit. We are aware too of the developing potential of remote vehicle slowdown and stopping technology and are keeping in touch with progress to ensure we are able to benefit from advances in this area.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on stolen vehicle slowdown technology to assist the police in stopping vehicles; and if she will make a statement. [256994]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) is currently undertaking a range of work to identify new means of stopping vehicles. Investigation of existing products has found no commercial off-the-shelf solution that would meet police needs. HOSDB is therefore now looking at different technologies that might be used. The objective is to provide the police with equipment that meets their needs, is safe, affordable and is proportionate to the safety threat posed by a vehicle that has refused to stop and is under police pursuit. We are aware too of the developing potential of remote vehicle slowdown and stopping technology and are keeping in touch with progress to ensure we are able to benefit from advances in this area.
Tobacco: Young People
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences by (a) confectioners and tobacconists and (b) other retailers selling tobacco products to those aged under 16 were recorded in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08; how many police cautions were issued in each case; how many fines were imposed in each case; and what the average fine imposed in each year was. [256752]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Information on the number of recorded offences of retailers selling tobacco products to those aged under 16 years is not collected centrally. This is a summary offence and is not included in the police recorded crime statistics.
Statistics on the number of police cautions issued, the number of fines imposed and the average fines have been provided by the Ministry of Justice. The figures cover calendar years and are given in the following table.
| Offenders( 1) cautioned and fined for selling tobacco etc to persons under 16( 2) | |||
| Number of police cautions issued | Number of fines imposed | Average fine amount (£) | |
| (1) These data are on a principal offence basis. (2) Children and Young Persons Act 1933 sec 7 as amended by the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991 sec 1. Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. | |||
Energy and Climate Change
Community Energy Saving Programme
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the budget of the Community Energy Saving Programme is for (a) 2008-09 and (b) each of the next five years. [255854]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) proposes a new carbon reduction obligation on energy suppliers and electricity generators.
The overall target for the CESP obligation will be specified in the legislation in terms of a carbon points score. We are proposing to set the overall target at a level that we estimate will require the obligated companies to deliver around £350 million worth of measures over the period of the obligation, achieving carbon savings of around 3.9 million tonnes.
The Government are consulting on the timescale for the new CESP obligation, with the proposal that it should run until 2012.
Departmental Pensions
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to advise staff of pension options available to them in relation to added years or additional voluntary contributions. [253268]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme receive an annual benefit statement showing the pension built up to date, and also a projection of their pension on retirement if they continue in service to scheme pension age. The benefit statement prompts the member to consider boosting their pension and provides details of the civil service pensions website where staff can obtain further information, including options for making additional voluntary contributions and a calculator to work out costs for added pension (previously added years).
New entrants are informed of pension options in the employment offer and are provided with a pension information pack.
Cabinet Office provides leaflets that explain added pension and additional voluntary contributions for members. The information is also available in scheme booklets. These are available on the civil service pensions website or on request from the member’s pensions administrator.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), which was formed on 3 October 2008, consists of posts taken from the existing Departments for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (DEFRA), plus corporate services. DECC staff can access the BERR and DEFRA internal HR intranets to access information on a range of issues. This includes comprehensive information on how staff can boost their pension through added pension and additional voluntary contributions (AVCs).
Departmental Public Consultation
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consultations have been initiated by his Department since 6 October 2008, including the dates given for responses and the intended dates for report. [256037]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 23 February 2009]: Since 6 October 2008, DECC has initiated the following public consultations:
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