| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
25 Feb 2010 : Column 664W—continued
Prisons: Drugs
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of illicit drug seizures within prisons was attributed to (a) sniffer dogs, (b) closed circuit television, (c) strip searches, (d) intimate searches, (e) searches of prison cells and (f) police intelligence in each of the last five years. [317397]
Maria Eagle: Information is not recorded in the format requested and would require requests for and detailed analysis of data returns from all prisons in England and Wales. To do so would incur disproportionate costs.
The combination and extent to which these methods have been used to seize drugs is specific to individual prisons, and will have varied over time as priorities and tactics have changed and evolved.
Local searching strategies are based on an individualised assessment of risk while containing mandatory actions set out in the National Offender Management Service's (NOMS) National Security Framework. NOMS searching policy is based on: common law principles of decency; human rights principles of necessity and proportionately; and not subjecting prisoners to degrading treatment.
An intimate search is defined as a manual search of buccal, anal and/or vaginal cavities. Intimate searching runs a significant risk of causing internal damage, particularly where the subject is non-compliant. Only qualified medical practitioners or registered nurses are able to undertake an intimate examination and will do so only with consent and for health-related reasons.
NOMS policy on searching in prisons does not permit intimate searches to be conducted. Where prison staff suspects internal concealment, the prisoner may be placed in confinement until the item is produced and/or referred to health care whenever there are concerns about health, for example, due to the concealment of drugs.
Public Sector: Disclosure of Information
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2010, Official Report, column 734W, on public sector: disclosure of information, if he will list each of the 57 primary requests that have been accepted by the Unlocking Service; and what the status is of each. [318341]
Mr. Wills: The following 57 requests to the Unlocking Service were accepted:
Youth Justice Board
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of the Youth Justice Board's expenditure was spent on purchasing custodial places in 2008-09. [318441]
Maria Eagle: The cost of custodial places currently includes payment for education provision. In respect of certain establishments, it also includes contributions to primary care trusts for health provision.
For the financial year 2008-09 the cost to purchase places and regimes for children and young people in the secure estate was £297,952,000 which equates to 63 per cent. of their annual budget.
The data contained in this answer is taken from the published YJB annual accounts.
Transport
Channel Tunnel: Safety
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what research his Department is undertaking in respect of the safety aspects of the two recent major incidents in the Channel Tunnel. [318763]
Chris Mole: The Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission acts for and on behalf of the British and French Governments to supervise all matters relating to the operation of the Channel Tunnel, including safety.
The Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission is advised by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority on all matters relating to safety.
Departmental Buildings
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many members of staff of (a) Directly Operated Railways and (b) East Coast Trains occupy office space in his Department. [318677]
Chris Mole: At the moment there are three full-time and two part-time Directly Operated Railways staff based at the Department for Transport's Marsham street offices. In addition, two non-executive directors also use these offices for up to two days each month.
From the 6 May, Directly Operated Railways staff will be based at offices in Kemble street which are not Department for Transport premises.
There are no East Coast staff occupying space in the Department for Transport offices.
Departmental Disabled Staff
Mr. Harper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many and what proportion of staff in (a) his Department and (b) the executive agencies for which he is responsible are disabled; and what the average salary in (i) his Department and (ii) the executive agencies is of (A) full-time disabled staff, (B) full-time non-disabled staff, (C) part-time disabled staff and (D) part-time non-disabled staff. [317898]
Chris Mole: The following table details how many and what proportion of staff in the Department for Transport and its Executive agencies are declared disabled; and what the average salary is of full-time declared disabled staff, full-time non-disabled staff, part-time declared disabled staff and part-time non-disabled staff.
| Disabled | Non-disabled | Disabled staff as percentage of known disability | Full-time disabled average salary (£) | Full-time non-disabled average salary (£) | Part-time disabled average salary (£) | Part-time non-disabled average salary (£) | |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |