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17 Mar 2009 : Column 1092W—continued
Drugs: Humberside
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in the Humberside Police Authority area were (a) arrested for, (b) charged with and (c) convicted of drug offences in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [262254]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The available information for the number of people in the Humberside Police Authority area arrested for drug offences in each of the last five years is given in table 1.
Data provided by the Ministry of Justice, showing the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts of drug offences in the Humberside Police Force Area, 2003 to 2007 are in table 2. Charging data are not collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice; proceeded against information is provided in lieu.
The court proceedings statistics provided 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.
| Table 1 : Persons arrested for drugs offences by police force area, England and Wales( 1) | |||||
| Number of arrests for drug offences | |||||
| Police force area | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 |
| (1) 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. | |||||
| Table 2: Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty at all courts for drug offences, in Humberside police force area, 2003 - 07( 1,2) | |||||
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
| (1) 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. (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. Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit—Office for Criminal Justice Reform | |||||
Drunkenness: Beverley
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals aged under 18 years resident in Beverley were (a) arrested for and (b) issued with a penalty notice for being drunk and disorderly in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [262255]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The number of persons aged 16 to 17 years issued with a penalty notice for disorder (PND) for being drunk and disorderly, in the Humberside police force area, which includes Beverley, from 2004, when the scheme was implemented, to 2007 (latest available) are given in the following table.
PND data are collected centrally at police force area level; data for Beverley is not available separately.
Data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
| The number of penalty notices for disorder issued to persons aged 16 to 17 years for being drunk and disorderly( 1) , in the Humberside police force area, from 2004 to 2007( 2) | |
| Total issued | |
| (1 )Data includes the following offence descriptions and corresponding statutes: Being found drunk in a highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on licensed premises—Licensing Act 1872, section 12; Being guilty while drunk of disorderly behaviour—Criminal Justice Act 1967, section 91. (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 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: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit | |
Immobilisation of Vehicles: Scotland
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make an assessment of the efficacy of the prohibition of wheel clamping on private land in Scotland to assist in formulating her policy for England. [261886]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 9 March 2009]: Wheel-clamping was not prohibited in Scotland as a result of a Government decision. The position in Scotland was determined by case law which determined that wheel-clamping on private land amounted to theft and the demand of a release fee amounted to extortion under Scottish Law.
Ministers have recently received a feasibility study undertaken by the SIA on the various options for the regulation of vehicle immobilisation companies who work on private land in England and Wales. We will take into account the evidence contained in this feasibility study as the policy on the compulsory licensing of companies in England and Wales is developed.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam of 21 August 2008 concerning Mr. Dennis Green of Cheam. [258489]
Mr. Woolas: Ministerial letters received at the Home Office are routinely scanned on arrival onto the Correspondence Tracking System (CTS) by the Direct Communications Unit (DCU). There is no record on the system of a letter dated 21 August 2008 from the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam having been received.
The Member's office has now provided the Home Office with a copy of the letter, and this was scanned onto CTS on 13 March. A reply will be provided as quickly as possible, and within the office's 15 working day target.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam of 11 September 2008 concerning Mr. David Hughes of Sutton. [258490]
Mr. Woolas: Ministerial letters received at the Home Office are routinely scanned on arrival onto the correspondence tracking system (CTS) by the Direct Communications Unit (DCU). There is no record on the system of a letter dated 11 September 2008 from the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam having been received.
The Member's office has now provided the Home Office with a copy of the letter, and this was scanned onto CTS on 13 March. A reply will be provided as quickly as possible, and within the Office's 15 working day target.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 20 January 2009 on Mrs. K. Mirza. [260400]
Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 9 March 2009.
National Identity Register
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requirements there will be on persons required to register on the National Identity Register to attend interviews. [258117]
Mr. Malik: In some cases, individuals may be asked to attend an interview when they apply for registration on the National Identity Register or for a replacement card. We will build upon existing practice where first time adult passport applicants are interviewed in order to help confirm their identity.
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2009, Official Report, column 157W, on the National Identity Register, whether there will be indirect links between the National Identity Register and other Government databases; and whether third party organisations will have indirect access to the register. [260337]
Mr. Malik: The Identity Cards Act 2006 sets out the legal basis for the provision of information from the National Identity Register, such as a person’s name or address, in order to assist in verifying that individual’s identity. This will necessitate arrangements for the provision of such information from the register to an authorised person, but it will not involve third party access to the register.
Offensive Weapons: Convictions
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2009, Official Report, column 2056W, on the Tackling Knives Action Programme, what the figure of 815 more convictions for possession of a knife or offensive weapon in the 10 Tackling Knives Action Programme areas represents as a percentage increase. [258718]
Jacqui Smith: Management information being used to monitor TKAP suggests that in the period June to November 2008 there were 815 more convictions for possession of a knife or offensive weapon in the 10 TKAP areas than in the same period of 2007. This figure represents a 17 per cent. increase between the two periods.
These figures are provisional and have been derived from the police’s administrative IT system, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Police: Health
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what data on police fitness tests her Department collected from police forces in 2007-08. [262347]
Jacqui Smith: In 2007-08 the following fitness test data was collected from each police force authority by ethnicity and gender: Numbers taking fitness test; Results (Dynamic strength push/pull/overall, endurance); Overall result (pass/fail).
The Policing Green Paper announced that Sir David Normington, permanent secretary to the Home Office, would lead a review of the strategic data collection burden placed by the Home Office on police forces in England and Wales. Sir David’s report was published on 16 February.
Fitness tests data collection was one of the data streams cut. It was previously required by HMIC and recorded fitness test breakdown by gender, number of attempts, number taking the attempt and the fitness skill level tested. Given HMIC’s new mission after the publication of the Policing Green Paper, this data is no longer required by them. Forces have been informed not to provide the data in the 2009-10 Annual Data Requirement notice thereby removing the burden on police support staff to collate and supply the data to the Home Office.
Prisoners: Foreigners
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many foreign national prisoners granted immigration bail by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal have subsequently re-offended in each of the last five years; [260083]
(2) how many foreign national prisoners held under immigration detention powers have been granted bail in each of the last 10 years. [260084]
Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency is advised of all individuals who meet the published criteria for deportation, however there are a number of cases where individuals have been convicted of minor offences and consequently only received a brief custodial sentence. In order to identify how many individuals who have been detained under immigration powers were previously convicted of a criminal offence within the United Kingdom which resulted in a custodial sentence and how many of those were subsequently granted bail it would be necessary to cross reference UK Border Agency records with those held by the Police which would incur a significantly disproportionate cost.
The Chief Executive has regularly written to the Home Affairs Select Committee in order to update them with all of the most robust and accurate information relating to foreign national prisoners. She has explained that those who are detained have the right to apply for bail to the independent Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. When the Agency believes that the individual concerned presents a risk of harm to the public, it will robustly contest the application for bail. The Agency will continue to pursue removal action where appropriate.
Copies of these letters are available in the Library of the House.
Racially Aggravated Offences: North East
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reported incidents of racism there have been in (a) the North East, (b) Tees Valley and (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last five years. [262919]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The information requested is not available from the police recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office. The series has the number of racially or religiously aggravated offences recorded by the police but cannot identify those which are deemed to be ‘institutionally racist’.
Vetting
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government plan to introduce basic disclosures for Criminal Records Bureau checks; and what recent estimate she has made of the cost of introducing basic disclosures for such checks. [264090]
Mr. Malik [holding answer 16 March 2009]: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) will be making a commitment in its Corporate Plan 2009-10 to research how it can implement a Basic Disclosure Service. In doing so, the bureau has begun work on design requirements for the operational model and will be testing this further with its stakeholders and potential customers over the next 12 months. The associated costs and business benefits will be evaluated as part of this work.
Vetting: Teachers
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many Criminal Records Bureau checks there were of teachers recruited to work in Muslim schools in 2008; [262887]
(2) how many Criminal Records Bureau checks there were on (a) paid and (b) volunteer staff recruited to work in mosques in England and Wales in 2008. [262888]
Mr. Malik: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) does not capture this information. This information is not relevant to any of the searches performed against the Police National Computer (PNC) or other data sources.
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