| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
30 Jun 2009 : Column 163W—continued
Crimes of Violence
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reported incidents of (a) attempted murder, (b) wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and (c) wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent by use of a knife or sharp instrument there have been in each police force area in each year since 1997. [281674]
Mr. Hanson: Available information for knife and sharp instrument offences recorded by the police for selected offences are provided for 2007-08 only. Data are not available for previous years.
Data for 2008-09 will be published on 16 July. It should be noted that GBH offences for 2008-09 will not be comparable with those published for 2007-08.
This is due to a change in the clarification rules for recording GBH with intent, and a change in the definitional coverage of GBH without intent.
| Knife and sharp instrument offences recorded by the police for selected offences, 2007-08( 1) | |||
| Number | |||
| Police force | Attempted murder | Wounding with intent to do GBH | Wounding or inflicting GBH without intent |
| (1) Includes racially or religiously aggravated wounding or inflicting GBH. | |||
Departmental Consultants
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on consultancy contracts in 2008-09. [272583]
Mr. Woolas:
In 2008-09, the Home Office and its agencies (the UK Border Agency, the Identity and Passport Service and the Criminal Records Bureau)
spent £140 million on consultancy services, such as project management, legal services and assistance with major projects, with a wide range of consultants. This represents 7 per cent. of Home Office expenditure on third party goods and services.
DNA: Databases
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions a person has been arrested but not charged with an offence following their being suspected of a crime as the result of the use of the national DNA database. [281957]
Alan Johnson: The information requested is not collected. In 2007-08, there were 37,376 crimes with a DNA match. If the National DNA Database (NDNAD) matches a DNA profile found at a crime scene with that from a known individual, a match report is sent to the police for further investigation. However, the NDNAD does not hold information on the outcome of the police investigation following the match—for example, whether the person concerned is arrested or charged—as its purpose is only to match DNA profiles.
These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, should be treated as provisional and is subject to change.
Entry Clearances
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many telephone interviews with visa applicants from (a) Pakistan and (b) Afghanistan have been conducted by entry clearance officers in (i) Islamabad and (ii) Abu Dhabi since 27 October 2008. [280127]
Alan Johnson: No telephone interviews have been conducted with visa applicants from either country since 27 October. Visa section staff may contact visa applicants to clarify certain aspects of an application, and there is routine verification of supporting documents which may also result in telephone inquiries being made.
Forced Marriages: Victim Support Schemes
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what support services his Department funds in each local authority area for victims of forced marriage; and if he will make a statement; [282249]
(2) what proportion of his Department's budget for 2009-10 is allocated for support for the victims of forced marriage. [282250]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Following a successful pilot in 2008, the joint Home Office/Foreign and Commonwealth Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) has allocated £84,000 to its Domestic Programme fund for 2009-10. Specialist organisations were invited in early June to apply for funds for project activities which support delivery of the FMUs 2009 and 2010 action plan. The Unit also separately funds support and awareness raising activity overseas, including in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.
The Home Office has also allocated a total of £3.5 million to the nine Government Offices for the regions and the Welsh Assembly for 2009-10 to support local initiatives to tackle domestic violence. A number of regions have chosen to allocate specific funding to local initiatives tackling forced marriage in their areas.
Forensic Science Service: Chorley
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the decision was made on the proposed closure of the Forensic Science Services Chorley laboratory. [282980]
Mr. Alan Campbell: No decision has been made to close Chorley or any other site. The Forensic Science Service has shared proposals about the future operational site deployment with employees and their representatives (Trade Unions and Employee Forum). This is part of the on-going collective consultation on the business transformation announced in the written ministerial statement of 8 June 2009. These proposals are subject to consultation and no decisions have been made about Chorley or any other site.
Hillsborough Stadium: Disclosure of Information
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress his Department has made in identifying files and documents it holds relating to the Hillsborough disaster that can be released. [279536]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Home Office, in partnership with other Departments, is currently developing a Government wide approach to the issue in close liaison with local agencies in South Yorkshire and beyond.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |