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12 Jan 2010 : Column 846W—continued
| Table C: Robbery offences recorded by Sussex police by BCU (Basic Command Unit), 2002-03 to 2008-09( 1) | |||||||
| Robbery offences | |||||||
| BCU name( 2) | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
| n/a = Not available. (1) The information presented complies with the National Statistics Code of Practice for Data Access and Confidentiality. In order to protect confidentiality, all counts lower than three have been suppressed. Other counts may be suppressed to protect confidentiality. These are denoted by an asterisk symbol in the cell. (2) The BCU structure in Sussex has changed across this period. (3) Before April 2003. | |||||||
Detention Centres: Children
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support his Department provides to young children detained in immigration removal centres. [310110]
Mr. Woolas: Three immigration removal centres in the UK can accommodate families with children. Dungavel House routinely accommodates family groups for approximately 72 hours and Tinsley House for approximately 24 hours. Where detention is likely to extend beyond this timeframe, families are transferred to Yarl's Wood, which has facilities to support longer periods of detention. These include:
A comprehensive welfare framework to support family members;
Access to onsite independent social workers and registered counsellors;
An Ofsted inspected crèche and school classrooms delivering 30 hours per week of tuition by qualified teachers for children aged five to 16 years;
A crèche staffed seven days a week from nine to five by appropriately qualified child care professionals for children under school age.
In addition to structured activities, children are able to voice concerns using dedicated complaints forms and can participate in a fortnightly children's forum. The centres provide internet and telephone facilities to enable children to keep in touch with friends in the community.
All immigration removal centres provide free onsite primary health care to the same level of care as NHS general practices in the community. Referrals to local hospitals for secondary care are made as medically required. Yarl's Wood provides dedicated services to meet the needs of families and children including a paediatric nurse, health and midwife visitors, weight and immunisation clinics which are able to prescribe malarial prophylaxis for identified risk groups, access to children's acute mental health services (CAMH) and counselling services.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children were detained in immigration removal centres in 2008. [310111]
Mr. Woolas: The requested information is not available; however, in August 2009 the Control of Immigration Quarterly Statistical publication was expanded to include, for the first quarters of 2009, information on persons entering detention, total number of persons leaving detention and the number of families with children held in detention. This information is available split by age (to separately identify children), and will continue to be published quarterly in the future; however data for earlier years will remain unavailable.
Information on the number of children under the age of 18 entering detention solely under Immigration Act powers in Q1 to Q3 2009 by age and country of nationality is available in
Table 8a and 8b of the Control of Immigration Quarterly Statistical Summary United Kingdom publication at:
and Tables G and H of the supplementary tables at:
Table 9 of the Control of Immigration Quarterly Statistical Summary United Kingdom publication at:
and Table H of the supplementary tables at:
Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
DNA: Databases
Rob Marris:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of those arrested in (a) 2004, (b) 2005, (c) 2006, (d) 2007 and (e) 2008 and subsequently convicted of an offence in
circumstances where there was a match with the National DNA Database were persons who had never previously been convicted or cautioned for a criminal offence. [306652]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 16 December 2009]: Information on the proportion of people arrested with no previous convictions or cautions who have subsequently been convicted following a match on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) is not available from the NDNAD. The NDNAD holds DNA profiles taken from persons arrested for a recordable offence but does not hold data on their criminal histories or on the outcome of the police investigation following a match on the NDNAD; this information is held on the Police National Computer (PNC). The information sought could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Some research information is, however, available on the number of DNA profiles taken from those arrested but not charged and from those arrested, charged but not convicted of an offence that have resulted in a DNA match, thus providing the police with an intelligence link on the possible identity of the offender and assisting in the detection of crimes. In April 2004, an amendment to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 came into effect which enabled the police to take and retain DNA and fingerprints from persons who had been arrested for a recordable offence. In the period April 2004 to December 2005, the retention of DNA profiles of arrested persons who had not been charged or proceeded against had resulted in matches with crime scene profiles from over 3,000 offences.
In May 2001, an amendment to PACE 1984 came into effect which enabled the police to retain DNA samples taken from persons who had been charged but not convicted of an offence. In the period May 2001 to December 2005, an estimated 200,000 DNA samples taken from people charged with offences were retained on the NDNAD, which would previously have had to be removed because of the absence of a conviction. From these, approximately 8,500 profiles of individuals have been linked with crime scene profiles, involving nearly 14,000 offences.
Some further research in 2009 has also looked at this issue. A research project on DNA retention looked at 818 matches in 2008-09, of which at least 639 were for murder, manslaughter and rape crimes, and at the 639 subject profiles involved in these matches. The results showed that 69 subject profiles (11 per cent.) from the 639 matches for serious crimes belonged to individuals who did not have a conviction at the time of the match but whose DNA had been retained on the NDNAD. This research considered only those matches where the loading of the crime scene DNA profile resulted in an immediate match with an existing subject profile, and does not include those matches where the subject profile was loaded after the crime scene profile. It therefore shows the value of retaining DNA subject profiles.
A 'match' means that DNA from material found at a crime scene matches a DNA profile from a known individual. A detection, prosecution or conviction does not necessarily follow from a match, as the person's presence at the crime scene could have been for innocent reasons, or it may not have been possible or sensible for a number of reasons to take an investigation of the match forward.
Domestic Violence
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has commissioned to uncover the extent of domestic violence against women. [308151]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Home Office funds the British Crime Survey (BCS) a nationally representative survey of adults resident in households in England and Wales. The survey asks about crimes that have been experienced in the last 12 months including those not reported to or recorded by the police. The BCS collects information on domestic violence both through face-to-face interviews and self-completion methods. The latest findings, including breakdowns by sex, are available in the Crime in England and Wales 2008-09 report, which is available at the following link:
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps his Department has taken to support women who are subject to domestic violence. [308152]
Mr. Alan Campbell: On 25 November, the Government launched 'Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls: A Strategy'. As part of the Strategy, the Government have committed to continuing their investment in specific domestic violence services such as national helplines, Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) and Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs). Over £5 million will be invested in 2010-11 in IDVAs and the further roll-out of MARACs.
The strategy also commits to developing a new online directory of Violence Against Women and Girls services, which will include services for victims of domestic violence.
Driving
Dr. Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms are in place to ensure that staff who drive (a) a vehicle for which (i) his Department and (ii) one of its executive agencies is responsible have valid driving licences and (b) their own vehicles in the course of their official duties for (A) his Department and (B) one of its executive agency have valid driving licences and insurance; what guidance is issued to those staff in respect of road safety while carrying out official duties; what steps are taken to monitor compliance with that guidance; what requirements there are on such staff to report to their line managers accidents in which they are involved while driving in the course of their official duties; and whether such reports are investigated. [302165]
Mr. Woolas:
The Home Office policy on fleet management and operations, including the use of private
vehicles, requires that all staff present their driving licences for checking at least once per annum. This is shortly to be increased to a twice per annum check.
Where official vehicles are used then the Home Office self-insures these as permitted under the Road Traffic Act 1988, Section 143. Where private vehicles are used then staff members must have management approval to drive on official business and must present a valid insurance certificate which provides indemnity against all third party claims arising for injury or death of third parties or damage to property.
Home Office policy, currently managed by HM Prison Service but transferring in to Home Office this month, requires that any staff involved in an accident must report the facts to their line manager within 24 hours. All accidents are required to be investigated at local business unit level.
Staff are advised of their requirement to comply with current legislation with regard to driving through policy and a driver safety leaflet is provided to business units to issue to drivers.
Home Office policy on driving at work is currently under review and is being revised to maintain its currency with legislation.
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