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1 Sep 2009 : Column 1769W—continued
Fraud: Forgery
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been (a) investigated, (b) cautioned, (c) tried and (d) convicted for offences relating to fraud and forgery in each year since 1997. [286981]
Claire Ward: The number of persons cautioned, proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts, for offences relating to fraud and forgery, in England and Wales, 1997 to 2007 (latest available) is shown in the table.
The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence.
Proceeded against and found guilty data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings 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 offence selected is the one 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.
Information on the number of people who have been investigated for offences relating to fraud and forgery is not held by my Department.
Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
Grants
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many grants have been made by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform in the last 12 months; and what the total amount of those grants is. [287130]
Mr. Straw: During 2008-09, OCJR made 174 grants totalling £49.9 million. Of this, £37.0 million was funding to Victim Support for nationwide services to victims and witnesses.
National Offender Management Service
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to paragraph 9.21 of the UK Strategy for Countering International Terrorism, Cm 7457, how many Muslim chaplains have received training from the National Offender Management Service (NOMS); where they are based; what estimate he has made of the size of the population they serve; what other NOMS staff have received further such training; where they are based; and at what cost to his Department the training has been provided. [286111]
Maria Eagle: As part of the National Offender Management Service's programme of work to address the risks associated with violent extremism and radicalisation, a series of briefings, written material, and training events have been delivered at both national and local level to a range of operational and non-operational staff working across prisons and probation, including Muslim chaplains. At present, there is no single central point for management information relating to training for staff across NOMS. Given the range of people employed directly by NOMS in public service prisons and in national and regional offices, as well as those employed directly by probation areas and trusts, obtaining information on associated costs to the Ministry of Justice would involve identifying and contacting sources across numerous locations and prove disproportionately expensive.
Muslim chaplains, working as part of the prison's chaplaincy team, work with the entirety of the prison population, including staff, not just with Muslim prisoners, although figures show that as of March 2009 the Muslim population of the prisons estate stood at 9,930.
National Offender Management Service: Consultants
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much the National Offender Management Service spent on consultants in financial year 2008-09; and how much was spent on consultants specifically for training and development purposes. [278560]
Mr. Straw: Expenditure on external consultants by the National Offender Management Service in the financial year 2007-08 (latest available figures) was £6.9 million of which £3.5 million relates to HM Prison Service.
The information requested for how much was spent on consultants specifically for training and development purposes is not held centrally and would involve a manual trawl of each unit responsible for this work at a disproportionate cost.
National Offender Management Service: Expenditure
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the outturn expenditure on (a) the National Offender Management Service Head Office and (b) the Probation Service was in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09. [282855]
Maria Eagle: The information requested is set out as follows:
Nation al Offender Management Service h eadquarters
The Resource outturn expenditure for the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) headquarters in 2007-08 as published in the Ministry of Justice Resource Accounts was £1,114 million.
Although the expenditure heading in the published accounts is called NOMS headquarters, the £1,114 million expenditure does not solely represent the administration costs of running NOMS headquarters. The figures in the following table show that the majority of the expenditure related to centrally managed front line services, including electronic monitoring, prisoner escort services and prison and probation property. Other services at the centre of NOMS such as the prison and probation ombudsman, HM Inspector of Prisons and Public Protection are directly related to front line services.
| NOMS headquarters expenditure for 2007-08 | £ million |
|
Prison and probation property, estates and capacity planning | |
The administration costs of running NOMS headquarters in 2007-08 were £76 million; or £151 million if HM Prison Service's administration costs are included. This is 1.6 per cent. or 3.2 per cent. respectively of the total NOMS resource expenditure.
The £557 million expenditure on prison and probation property, estates and capacity planning relates to costs associated with the custodial and probation estate including: capital charges; estate management including major maintenance; and, where applicable, rent, rates, insurance and utilities.
The resource outturn expenditure for the Probation Service in 2007-08 was £845 million as published in the National Probation Service Consolidated Accounts 2007-08.
The information cannot be provided because the National Offender Management Service Agency Resource Accounts for 2008-09, and the National Probation Service Consolidated Accounts for 2008-09, have not yet been finalised and audited by the National Audit Office prior to their sign-off by the agency's director general.
Police
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what reports he has received of allegations of the systematic gathering of information by the States of Jersey police on elected members of the States of Jersey. [286124]
Mr. Wills: I have received updates about the allegations referred to. This is currently a matter under investigation by the Wiltshire Constabulary at the request of the Government of Jersey. It would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this time.
Political Parties
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with HM Revenue and Customs on the implementation of the new provisions in the Political Parties and Elections Bill on non-resident donors. [288089]
Mr. Straw: Officials from my Department have had a number of discussions with officials from HM Revenue and Customs on the taxation status provisions in the Political Parties and Elections Bill.
My officials will continue discussions with HM Revenue and Customs, political parties and the Electoral Commission on implementation issues prior to bringing the new restriction into force.
Prison Accommodation
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners are being held on their own in cells designed for more than one prisoner. [287886]
Maria Eagle: The data requested are not held centrally and would be available only at a disproportionate cost.
Prison Service: Meat
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department provides to HM Prison Service on the procurement of halal meat; and whether that guidance differentiates between stunned and pre-stunned meat. [287723]
Maria Eagle: All Halal denoted products provided via national NOMS supply contracts to prison establishments are accredited by a certifying Islamic body.
There is no agreed national or international standard for Halal products. Additionally differing views in regard to interpretations of Islamic Law, in particular to stunning and mechanical slaughter issues, further compound the difficulty of fully ensuring consumer confidence among all Muslim prisoners when providing meals.
The NOMS Muslim adviser, together with some Muslim chaplains, has consulted widely on the issue of Halal meat. The work culminated in the introduction of a NOMS Halal Standard which has been agreed by senior Muslim scholars from across all the different Muslim schools of thought. It has also been acknowledged by a senior official at the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) as an example of best practice. The Halal Standard together with comprehensive commodity specifications helps ensure that all Muslim prisoners are provided with assured, quality products. Since 1 April 2009, all Halal raw poultry products have been accredited and supplied to this new standard.
If any prisoner has any doubt about the credibility of the Halal menu option offered, despite the introduction of these standards, there is always an option to choose a vegetarian or vegan option as an alternative.
All contracted suppliers are required to comply with Food Quality Standards provided by the authority. This includes the standard for Halal, a copy of which has been placed in the House Library.
"the animal may be stunned, anaesthetised or otherwise rendered wholly or partially insensible before slaughter."
Prisoners
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how long on average a prisoner spent in (a) production workshops, (b) education and (c) rehabilitation in each month in the last five years. [285262]
Mr. Straw: The average time a prisoner has spent in (a) production workshops, (b) education and (c) rehabilitation in each month in the last five years is set out in the following table.
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