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7 Dec 2009 : Column 112W—continued

Table 2: The number of disqualifications imposed at all courts in the East of England Government office region( 1) , for selected motoring offences, from 1998 to 2007( 2,3)
number of offences
Offence type	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Dangerous driving	373	376	322	333	422	555	485	469	452	461
Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs	7,732	7,553	6,933	7,391	8,038	8,406	8,860	8,544	8,968	8,482
Careless driving	149	141	162	221	256	260	253	288	279	274
Speed limit offences	1,705	1,772	1,403	1,591	1,450	1,497	1,477	1,870	1,609	1,375
Total	9,959	9,842	8,820	9,536	10,166	10,718	11,075	11,171	11,308	10,592
(1) Includes: Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk police force areas. (2) It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings, in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

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Table 3: The number of disqualifications imposed at all courts in England, for selected motoring offences, from 1998 to 2007( 1,2)
number of offences
Offence type	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004( 3)	2005	2006	2007
Dangerous driving	4,570	4,269	4,225	4,116	5,071	6,220	6,177	5,256	4,914	4,675
Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs	80,332	77,827	74,697	73,685	79,310	81,139	84,669	81,107	81,461	78,503
Careless driving	1,423	1,445	1,478	1,861	2,026	1,988	2,240	2,164	2,085	2,232
Speed limit offences	11,565	11,551	10,695	10,951	8,739	9,330	9,582	9,875	8,977	7,917
Total	97,890	95,092	91,095	90,613	95,146	98,677	102,668	98,402	97,437	93,327
(1)It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings, in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete.( 2)Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3)Figures given include revised figures for Sussex police force area. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.

Driving Offences: Norwich

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many fines for speeding offences have been (a) issued to and (b) paid by residents of Norwich North constituency in each year since 1997. [301700]

Maria Eagle: Information held by the Ministry of Justice, on the Court Proceedings Database, on the number of court imposed fines issued for speed limit offences in the Norfolk police force area, from 1997 to 2007 (latest available) is given in table 1. Data held centrally are not available at parliamentary constituency level.

Court proceedings data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.

In addition to court fines, information provided by the Home Office on the number of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued by the police for speeding offences, in the Norfolk police force area, for the period 1997 to 2007 (latest available) are provided in table 2.

It is not possible to separately identify FPNs issued to residents of Norwich, North constituency as the data reported to the Home Office are broken down by police force area only. Additionally, information on payment rates of fixed penalty notices for speeding offences are not available as the data reported to the Home Office are not broken down by offence. Data for 2008 are scheduled to be published in March 2010.

Her Majesty's Courts Service advise that it is not possible, from revenue received, to separately identify fines registered by the courts for speeding offences.

Table 1: The number of fines imposed at all courts in the Norfolk police force area for speed limit offences( 1) , from 1997 to 2007( 2,3)
Number of offences
	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Number of fines	1,215	1,372	1,679	1,374	1,449	1,269	2,372	2,764	2,824	3,453	2,669
(1) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 ss. 16, 81, 84, 86, 88 and 89; Motor Vehicles (Speed Limit on Motorways) Regs. 1973; Parks Regulation (Amendment) Act 1926 - byelaws made thereunder. (2) It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice

Table 2: Number of fixed penalty notices issued in Norfolk police force area for speeding offences, 1997 to 2007( 1)
	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Number of fixed penalty notices issued	4,895	5,379	9,267	4,783	5,166	17,116	31,640	26,938	25,117	24,985	24,878
(1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Home Office Statistics

Drugs: Crime

Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been convicted of offences of drug (a) possession and (b) dealing in (i) Reading East constituency and (ii) Berkshire in the last 12 months. [303328]

Claire Ward: Information showing the number of persons found guilty at all courts for drug possession and dealing in the Thames Valley police force area in 2007 (latest available) is shown in the following table.

Data are not available at constituency or county level; police force area data are given in lieu.

Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.

Number of persons found guilty at all courts for the possession and dealing of drugs in the Thames Valley police force area, 2007( 1,2)
Offence	2007
Having possession of a controlled drug	1,310
Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply	188
Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug	65
(1)The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence 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. (2)Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.

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East Sutton Park Prison: Prisoner Escapes

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with the Prison Service on the transfer and subsequent absconsion of Jane Andrews from HMP East Sutton; and if he will make a statement. [303207]

Mr. Straw: Ministers would not be routinely informed about the transfer of a prisoner from one open prison to another, and I was not informed in this case. I was informed that this prisoner had absconded, my office was regularly briefed during the time she was unlawfully at large, and I was informed when she was apprehended by Kent Police. An investigation into her abscond is under way. The interim report should be completed by 3 December.

Females: Prisoners

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress he has made in the implementation of the recommendations of the Corston Report on women with particular vulnerabilities in the criminal justice system. [300952]

Maria Eagle: The Government are committed to diverting vulnerable women, who are not serious or dangerous offenders, from custody. Our strategy is to strengthen services in the community, tackling the complex needs of women who offend and offering viable alternatives to custody; and to ensure that those who do go to prison are treated in ways that are informed by their needs and are gender sensitive.

In line with this approach this year we have awarded 31 grants to third sector organisations to develop additional services in the community for women offenders or those at risk of offending. The Together Women Projects will also continue to meet the multiple and complex needs of women in the community.

Along side this the National Offender Management Service implemented new full search arrangements that take a risk-based approach reducing the frequency of full searches. In addition, gender specific standards which ensure an appropriate response to women prisoners were implemented in all women's prisons this year.

A full progress update will be made to Parliament this December.

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