---

29 Jun 2009 : Column 102W—continued

In 2008-09 28 staff also had Disclosure Scotland clearance.

Please note the figures for 2005-06 and 2006-07 are not fully verifiable so the figures provided are based on the best available data.

Absenteeism: Pupils

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many parents in (a) Merseyside and (b) Crosby have appeared in court on charges related to the unauthorised absence from school of their child in the last (i) six, (ii) 12 and (iii) 24 months. [282526]

Mr. Coaker: I have been asked to reply.

The Department has policy responsibility for school attendance and the Ministry of Justice is responsible for the collection of prosecution data where parents have failed to ensure their children's regular school attendance. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 16 June, Official Report, column 242W.

Antisocial Behaviour: Fixed Penalties

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people under the age of 16 years have been issued with a penalty notice for disorder for each category of offence for which such notices are issued. [278450]

Mr. Straw: PNDs for young persons under the age of 16 were piloted for a year from July 2005 in six police force areas (Merseyside, Lancashire, Essex, Nottingham, west midlands (including West Midlands British Transport Police) and the Metropolitan Police (Kingston Division)). The most recent published data on the number of PNDs issued, by area and offence from the pilots are set out in the following tables.

The evaluation report on penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) for 10 to 15-year-olds was published on 5 November 2008. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

29 Jun 2009 : Column 103W

29 Jun 2009 : Column 104W

Number of PNDs issued correctly by force and offence type (July 2005 to June 2006)
	Lancashire	Merseyside	Metropolitan police	Nottinghamshire
£40 penalty
Wasting police time	23	11	0	2
Improper use of electronic communication	4	5	0	2
Knowingly giving false alarm to the fire brigade	4	1	0	0
Causing harassment, alarm or distress	388	713	0	44
Throwing fireworks	8	23	0	1
Drunk and disorderly	144	113	0	3
Selling alcohol to under 18s	3	0	0	0
Buying alcohol for person under 18	0	1	0	1
Purchasing alcohol for consumption in licensed premises	0	1	0	0
Delivering alcohol to person under 18 or allowing such delivery	0	1	0	0
Destroying or damaging property (under £500)	566	757	2	27
Theft (retail under £200)	453	579	2	15
Possession of a category 4 firework	1	1	0	0
Possession by a person under 18 of an adult firework	1	8	0	3
£30 penalty
Trespassing on railways	4	6	0	0
Throwing stones at a train	0	1	0	0
Drunk in highway	18	34	0	0
Drinking alcohol in designated public place	21	7	0	0
Depositing and leaving litter	12	23	0	5
Buying or attempting to buy alcohol by a persons under 18	2	11	0	0
Force total	1,652	2,296	4	103

	West midlands + BTP	Essex	All areas
£40 penalty
Wasting police time	13	0	49
Improper use of electronic communication	2	1	14
Knowingly giving false alarm to the fire brigade	3	0	8
Causing harassment, alarm or distress	109	26	1,280
Throwing fireworks	2	0	34
Drunk and disorderly	11	4	275
Selling alcohol to under 18s	0	0	3
Buying alcohol for person under 18	2	0	4
Purchasing alcohol for consumption in licensed premises	0	0	1
Delivering alcohol to person under 18 or allowing such delivery	0	0	1
Destroying or damaging property (under £500)	51	15	1,418
Theft (retail under £200)	70	30	1,149
Possession of a category 4 firework	0	0	2
Possession by a person under 18 of an adult firework	0	0	12
£30 penalty
Trespassing on railways	21	0	31
Throwing stones at a train	4	0	5
Drunk in highway	2	2	56
Drinking alcohol in designated public place	0	0	28
Depositing and leaving litter	11	0	51
Buying or attempting to buy alcohol by a persons under 18	0	0	13
Force total	301	78	4,434

Asylum: Tribunals

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times a hearing at each asylum and immigration tribunal was adjourned for each reason for adjournment, in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [282245]

Bridget Prentice: For the financial year 2008-09, 12,063 substantive Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) hearings were adjourned from a total of 126,541 substantive hearings. The following table details the reasons for each adjournment.

The table includes a significant number of cases adjourned for a further reconsideration hearing. Once a reconsideration application has been granted, there is a first stage hearing to ascertain whether an error in law has occurred. If a material error of law is found, the case is officially ‘adjourned’, and there is a second stage hearing after which the AIT substitutes a fresh decision to allow or dismiss the appeal.

---