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25 Mar 2009 : Column 414Wcontinued
Mr. Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times he has exercised his power to deduct funds from an offenders income support payments in the pursuance of enforcement of a (a) fine and (b) compensation order under section 24 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 in each of the last five years. [266406]
Bridget Prentice: The following table shows the number of Deductions from Benefit Orders imposed by the courts under the Courts Act 2003 Fines Collection Scheme since April 2006 to February 2009, the latest date for which data are available. Full data are only available from April 2006 and cannot be broken down between fines and compensation.
Financial year: orders | Number of deductions from benefits |
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what sentencing guidelines apply to convictions for offences arising from the purchase and use of ball-bearing guns; and if he will make a statement. [265776]
Mr. Hanson: Ball-bearing guns which fire small plastic pellets are usually referred to as airsoft or BB guns and are treated in law as imitation firearms.
The maximum sentence for possession of an imitation firearm in a public place is 12 months imprisonment, or a £5,000 fine, or both. The Magistrates Courts Sentencing Guidelines have a starting point of a high level community order for carrying a loaded air weapon, with a sentencing range of a medium level community order to 26 weeks custody.
It is an offence for someone under 18 to purchase or hire an air weapon or ammunition for an air weapon; the maximum penalty is six months detention or a £5,000 fine, or both. There are no sentencing guidelines for this offence.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions for offences involving ball-bearing guns in each of the last three years. [265778]
Mr. Malik: It is not possible from the statistics collected centrally on the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database to distinguish offences relating to ball bearing guns, or more accurately airsoft weapons, from other imitation firearms.
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) organisations and (b) individuals were specifically invited to comment on the National Framework for Greater Citizen Engagement discussion paper. [265737]
Mr. Wills: Approximately 1,000 organisations and individuals from the Governance of Britain stakeholder database were alerted via e-mail to the publication of the National Framework for Greater Citizen Engagement discussion paper. The discussion paper, which was made available on line and in hard copy, invited views on proposals for the greater use of engagement mechanisms by national Government.
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