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22 Feb 2010 : Column 340W—continued
There have been changes to some of the classifications for violence against the person offences between 2005-06 and 2008-09, which are outlined below. While these changes can affect the number of offences recorded between offence types, they do not affect the total figures for violence against the person offences.
Offence classifications 5A (inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent), 5B (use of substance or object to endanger life) and 5C (possession of items to endanger life) were introduced from 1 April 2008 and replace classification five (more serious wounding or other act endangering life). Classification 5A was influenced by a clarification in recording rules that had the effect of significantly increasing levels of recording in some forces. More information on this is given in Volume 2 to Crime in England and Wales 2008/09 at the following link.
Offence classifications 8F (inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent), 8G (actual bodily harm and other injury), 8H (racially or religiously aggravated inflicting GBH without intent), 8J (racially or religiously aggravated ABH or other injury) and 8K (poisoning or female genital mutilation) were introduced from 1 April 2008 and had previously been recorded as part of classifications 8A (less serious wounding) or 8D (racially or religiously aggravated less serious wounding).
Offence classifications 3A (conspiracy to murder) and 3B (threats to kill) were introduced from 1 April 2008 and had previously been recorded as classification 3 (threat or conspiracy to murder).
Offence classifications 10A (possession of firearms with intent), 10C (possession of other weapons) and 10D (possession of article with blade or point) were introduced from one April 2008 and had previously been recorded as classification 8B (possession of weapons).
Offence classifications 8L (harassment) and 9A (public fear, alarm or distress) were introduced from 1 April 2008 and had previously been recorded as classification 8C (harassment/public fear, alarm or distress).
Offence classifications 8M (racially or religiously aggravated harassment) and 9B (racially or religiously aggravated public fear, alarm or distress) were introduced from 1 April 2008 and had previously been recorded as classification 8E (racially or religiously aggravated harassment/public fear, alarm or distress).
Crimes of Violence: Police Cautions
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what proportion of incidents of (a) rape and (b) violence against the person reported in the last five years a caution was issued. [316491]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The requested data for the number of incidents of rape and violence against the person for each year from 2004-05 to 2008-09 are provided by the Ministry of Justice and shown in Tables A (rape offences) and B (violence against the person offences).
The number of offenders cautioned for offences of rape and violence against the person in England and Wales from 2004 to 2008 (latest available) are given in Tables A1 and B1 respectively.
Cautions and court proceedings data for 2009 are expected to be published in the autumn, 2010.
| Table A: Reported offences for rape( 1) , 2004-05 to 2008-09 | |
| Total number | |
| (1) The Sexual Offences Act 2003 introduced in May 2004 altered the definition and coverage of sexual offences. A small number of offences continue to be recorded relating to offences repealed by the Act; while these may continue to be legitimately recorded for offences prior to May 2004 it is also possible that some may have been recorded in these old categories in error, so recent changes based on small numbers should be interpreted with caution. | |
| Table A1: Cautions issued for offences of rape, England and Wales, 2004 to 2008( 1, 2, 3) | |
| Total number | |
| (1 )The cautions statistics in table A1 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. (2) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (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 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 B: Reported violence against the person offences, 2004-05 to 2008-09 | |
| Total number | |
| Table B1: Cautions issued for violence against the person offences, England and Wales, 2004 to 2008( 1, 2, 3) | |
| Total number | |
| (1) The cautions statistics given in table B1 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. (2) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (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 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. | |
Dangerous Dogs
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints have been made to the police in each police authority area in respect of attacks by dogs in each of the last five years; how many such complaints resulted in prosecutions; and if he will make a statement. [316414]
Mr. Hanson: The information requested is not collected centrally as there is no requirement for police forces to report attacks by dogs to the Home Office.
The police are required to notify the Home Office of offences recorded under sections 3(1) and 3(3) of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. These offences relate to an owner or person in charge allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place injuring any person or allowing a dog to enter a non-public place and injure any person. However, such offences would be included in the offence classification 'Actual bodily harm and other injury' and cannot be separately identified from other offences recorded under that classification.
Departmental Accountancy
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any written instructions have been provided to his Department's Accounting Officer in accordance with paragraph 5.5 of the Ministerial Code since May 1997. [315317]
Mr. Woolas: The Department has not received any written instructions in respect of paragraph 5.5 of the Ministerial Code since May 1997.
Departmental Billing
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the average length of time taken by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies to pay invoices from (i) small and medium-sized enterprises and (ii) all creditors in the last 12 months. [315134]
Mr. Woolas: The Home Office implemented the Prime Minister's commitment to pay all small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within 10 days in October 2008.
The Home Office has invested significantly in its people with the creation of a professional Shared Service Centre and Procurement Centre of Excellence complemented by the creation of new processes and upgraded Procure to Pay systems. The Department has put a firm focus on paying its suppliers on time on receipt of a compliant invoice. It has worked closely with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills reporting on both its legislative obligations of 30 days as well as the 10 day PM's commitment for SMEs.
The Home Office has recently converted all of its suppliers to 10-day payment terms and will be reporting on this from 1 February 2010.
The latest Home Office performance information for paying the invoices of all creditors within 30 days and paying SME compliant invoices within 10 days in January 2010 is shown in the following table:
The latest available performance information from the Criminal Records Bureau for paying the invoices of all creditors and SME compliant invoices within 10 days in December 2009 is shown in the following table:
| Table 2: CRB performance of paying invoices within 10 days for December 2009 | ||||
| Month | Total number of all invoices paid | Percentage of total number of all invoices paid within 10 days | Number of SMEs' compliant invoices paid within 10 days | Percentage of SMEs' compliant invoices paid within 10 days |
Performance information from the Identity and Passport Service is that between April 2009 and January 2010 SME compliant invoices were on average paid within 12 days and the invoices of all remaining creditors were on average paid within 19 days.
Departmental Drinking Water
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has spent on bottled drinking water in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [313184]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The requested information cannot be obtained, without incurring disproportionate cost.
The Department is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its official activities. The Department's policy is not to supply bottled water unless it is essential for health and safety reasons.
Departmental Employment Agencies
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many job vacancies in his Department and its agencies were filled through the use of external recruitment companies in the latest year for which figures are available. [314769]
Mr. Woolas: During the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009, the Home Office and its agencies (the UK Border Agency, the Identity and Passport Service and the Criminal Records Bureau) filled 461 vacancies with permanent staff, fixed term appointments or casuals recruited through the use of external recruitment companies.
Of these 461 vacancies, 318 were Immigration caseworker jobs that arose in the UK Border Agency as a result of the move to regionalise case working and move jobs outside London, in line with the recommendation of the Gershon review.
The total of 461 vacancies filled through the use of external recruitment companies in 2008-09 represents less than 10 per cent. of the overall total number of advertised vacancies filled with permanent staff, fixed term appointments and casuals within the Home Office and its agencies during that period. The vast majority of vacancies were, therefore, filled through internal and cross-Government trawls.
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department and its agencies spent on external recruitment companies in the latest year for which figures are available. [314770]
Mr. Woolas: The information held centrally by Home Office on recruitment is not broken down in sufficient detail to identify expenditure on external recruitment companies. The requested information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Departmental Empty Property
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough of 18 January 2010, Official Report, column 29W, on departmental buildings, what the (a) book value and (b) estimated annual rental value is of the vacant residential property owned by his Department. [315967]
Mr. Woolas: Since my Department is in the process of selling vacant residential property, no estimates have been made of potential rental value. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 December 2009, Official Report, column 715W on the property's book value.
Departmental Energy
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated (a) amount and (b) cost was of energy used in his Department and its agencies in each year since 1997; what proportion of the energy used was generated from renewable sources in each of those years; and if he will make a statement. [317204]
Mr. Woolas: Central Government Departments and their Executive agencies report performance data on the energy consumed and amount sourced from renewable sources annually as part of the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate targets. The latest assessment of the Department's performance against these targets was published by the Sustainable Development Commission on 18 December 2009
The Department's structure and its estate has changed considerably since 1997 and it does not hold comprehensive information for the last 13 years, covering (a) amount and (b) cost of the total energy consumed, and the proportion sourced from renewable sources for the Home Office estate and its agencies.
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