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20 Oct 2009 : Column 1358W—continued

Police

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many serving (a) police officers and (b) police community support officers were arrested for (i) drug-related offences, (i) offences related to possession of a knife, (iii) offences related to possession of a gun and (iv) theft in the last 12 months. [293794]

Mr. Hanson: The Home Office does not hold this information.

Police Stations

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many police stations there were in each police force area in (a) each of the last five years and (b) each of the last 12 months, excluding mobile police stations; and if he will make a statement; [294072]

(2) how many police stations were (a) opened and (b) closed in each police force area in (i) each of the last five years and (ii) each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [294073]

Mr. Hanson: The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for each police authority and chief officer, who are responsible for assessing local needs.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted of offences under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; if he will commission research into the efficacy of the legislation; and if he will make a statement. [293656]

Mr. Hanson: Information showing the number of persons found guilty at all courts for offences under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 ('RIPA') in England and Wales from 2000 to 2007 is shown as follows:


20 Oct 2009 : Column 1359W

20 Oct 2009 : Column 1360W
Persons found guilty at all courts of offences under RIPA in England and Wales
Offence Statute 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Unlawful interception of a postal, public or private telecommunications system

Sections 1(1), (2), (7)

-

-

1

3

4

1

-

-

Failure to give effect to an interception warrant

Sections 11(4), (7)

-

-

-

-

1

-

-

-

Unlawful disclosure of details of interception warrant

Sections 19(4)

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

Failure to disclose key to protected information

Section 53

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Disclose details of a S49 notice

Section 54

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

Total

-

-

1

3

5

1

-

2


These are from the official Ministry of Justice statistics. Figures for 2008 are due to be published at the end of January 2010. The encryption provisions of RIPA came into force on 1 October 2007 and these figures are therefore not yet reflected in the table. Some information is available in the Chief Surveillance Commissioner's report for 2008-09 which shows there were two s53 convictions for failing to disclose the key to protected information.

The Government are satisfied that offences set in RIPA are appropriate and that the legislation is being used effectively.

Roads: Accidents

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answers of 17 June 2009, Official Report, columns 295-6W, on road accidents, what the estimated cost in police time of dealing with road closures due to road traffic accidents on (a) motorways and (b) trunk roads in each police force area in the South West was (i) from July to December 2005, (ii) in 2006, (iii) in 2007, (iv) in 2008 and (v) in 2009 to date. [287098]

Mr. Alan Campbell: This information is not collected centrally.

Defence

Afghanistan

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what visits each of the Ministers in his Department has made to Afghanistan in each of the last 12 months. [293808]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The dates of both my and my predecessors' visits to Afghanistan in the last 12 months, and those of Ministers in my Department are detailed as follows. The Minister for International Defence and Security and Minister for Strategic Defence Acquisition Reform have not visited Afghanistan in the last 12 months.

Secretary of State for Defence-John Hutton

S ecretary of State for Defence- Bob Ainsworth

Minister for Veterans

Minister for Defence Equipment and Support

Minister for the Armed Forces

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy personnel have been injured in Afghanistan in the last 18 months. [293821]

Mr. Kevan Jones: Between 1 March 2008 and 15 September 2009 (the latest date for which validated data are held) there have been 95 naval service personnel injured in Afghanistan, of which 15 were from the Royal Navy and 80 were from the Royal Marines. Injury can either be as a result of battle (wounded in action) or non battle (operational accidents).

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK armed forces rounds of ammunition of each type have been (a) lost and (b) stolen in Afghanistan in each month since 2001. [293833]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force personnel have been injured in Afghanistan in the last 18 months. [293836]

Mr. Kevan Jones: Between 1 March 2008 and 1 September 2009 (the latest date for which validated data is held) there have been 65 RAF personnel injured in Afghanistan. Injury can either be as a result of battle (wounded in action) or non-battle (operational accidents).

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK weapons of each type have been (a) lost and (b) stolen in Afghanistan in each month since 2001. [293840]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Information on lost and stolen UK weapons in Afghanistan is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Individual units record their weapon losses but information is not aggregated centrally.


20 Oct 2009 : Column 1361W

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving armed forces personnel are awaiting (a) reconsideration of a decision on their claim under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and (b) an appeal hearing before the Pensions Appeal Tribunal. [293999]

Mr. Kevan Jones: As at 16 October 2009 there were 15 serving armed forces personnel who had registered for a reconsideration prior to 1 July 2009 (the latest date for which validated data are available) and are awaiting an outcome under the armed forces compensation scheme (AFCS).

As at 16 October 2009 there were 125 serving armed forces personnel who had registered an appeal prior to 1 July 2009 (the latest date for which validated data are available) and are awaiting an appeal hearing before the First Tier Tribunal (formerly the Pension Appeal Tribunal) under the AFCS.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much will be spent on pay for adult instructors in the cadet force in the next six months. [293151]

Mr. Kevan Jones: Details of the remaining budget for 2009-10 paid days training (PDT) for adult instructors in each of the three services cadet forces and their respective combined cadet forces (CCF), are provided in the following table.

Cadet force and CCF Remaining PDT budget (£ million)

Army Cadet Force and CCF (Army)

1.3

Air Cadet Organisation and CCF (RAF)

2.0

Navy Command Cadets

0.36


Armed Forces: Drugs

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many drug tests for each class of drugs on (a) Army, (b) Navy and (c) RAF personnel from each regiment produced positive results in each quarter since January 2008. [293998]

Mr. Kevan Jones: The following tables reflect the results of drug tests in the armed forces since January 2008. A breakdown of the Army figures by regiment could be provided only at disproportionate cost.


20 Oct 2009 : Column 1362W
Royal Navy
Number of positive results

Total number of tests Class A Class B Class C

2008

1 January to 31 March

3,114

15

0

7

1 April to 30 June

3,404

8

0

6

1 July to 30 September

3,239

25

0

4

1 September to 31 December

3,026

14

0

2

2009

1 January to 31 March

2,779

5

3

1

1 April to 30 June

3,879

5

5

0

1 July to 31 July

1,829

3

5

0


Army
Number of positive results

Total number of tests Class A Class B Class C

2008

1 January to 31 March

19,885

127

5

87

1 April to 30 June

24,787

199

3

96

1 July to 30 September

19,978

128

4

69

1 September to 31 December

32,652

168

3

111

2009

1 January to 31 March

25,045

90

40

33

1 April to 30 June

26,932

83

88

10

1 July to 31 July

10,540

16

28

5


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