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24 Jan 2011 : Column 30W—continued
The education maintenance allowance is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate this for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Neil Flint, dated 7 January 2011:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ 032502.
The Department for Education is responsible for overall policy in these areas and will answer the first part of your question on free school meals.
The Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) is responsible for the delivery of Education Maintenance Allowances (EMA). Information on the number of young people who have received EMA is available at local authority level, but not at constituency level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in an academic year.
The take-up figure for EMA in Barnet Local Authority was 2,976 as at 30 November 2010.
EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10 is available on the YPLA website, at the following address:
Religious Education
Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on religious education as an element of the national curriculum. [33018]
Mr Gibb: Religious education RE is a statutory part of the basic curriculum of maintained schools in England, but not a part of the National Curriculum. This means that there are no statutory national programmes of study, attainment targets or assessment arrangements. However, the locally agreed syllabus, which is designed by Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education SACRE and adopted by the local authority, is statutory, and that means that local authorities must provide such a syllabus and that maintained schools must follow it. Schools with a religious character can either follow the locally agreed syllabus, or use a syllabus which has been agreed by their governing body. It is the responsibility of the head teacher, governors and local authorities (LAs) to make the necessary provisions for RE in all maintained schools.
Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from faith groups on the place of religious education in an English Baccalaureate. [33019]
Mr Gibb: To date we have had 35 representations from faith groups on the place of religious education in the English Baccalaureate.
School Support Staff Negotiating Body: Impact Assessments
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department carried out an equality impact assessment prior to taking the decision to abolish the School Support Staff Negotiating Body. [32868]
Mr Gibb: In reaching the decision to abolish the School Support Staff Negotiating Body, the Secretary of State took full account of the Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) that was produced by this Department. A copy of that EQIA will be sent to SSSNB trade union and employer organisation representatives.
Schools: Film
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding his Department provided for FILMCLUB for recreational use of films in schools in each of the last three years. [32992]
Mr Gibb: The Department for Education announced in July 2008 that it would provide £11.4 million to fund the roll out of FILMCLUB That funding was for £3.1 million in 2008-09, £3.7 million in 2009-2010 and £4.6 million in 2010-11.
Schools: Hendon
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on school standards in Hendon constituency. [32503]
Mr Gibb: No representations have been received on school standards in Hendon. In 2009, the most recent year for which constituency level data are available, 76% of pupils in Hendon achieved level 4 or above in English and maths combined at key stage 2, compared with 72% in England. At key stage 4, 55.3% of pupils in Hendon achieved five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C, including English and maths, compared with 50.9% in England. Constituency level data for 2010 will be available shortly.
Schools: Personnel
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) which employee groups within his Department's responsibilities are covered by a national pay body; which such pay bodies have been abolished in the last year; and if he will make a statement; [32866]
(2) what mechanism he plans to put in place to ensure fairness, consistency and local flexibility in pay and conditions for school support staff following the abolition of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body; [32867]
(3) what assessment he has made of the effect on schools of the abolition of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body. [32875]
Mr Gibb: The School Teachers Review Body (STRB) examines and reports on matters relating to statutory conditions of employment of school teachers in England and Wales as may be referred to it from time to time by the Secretary of State for Education. The School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) was established by the previous Government in 2009, with a remit that includes considering, with a view to reaching agreement on, matters relating to the remuneration and conditions of school support staff working in maintained schools in England.
No changes are planned to the role or remit of the STRB, but on 28 October the Secretary of State for Education announced his intention to introduce legislation at the earliest opportunity to abolish the SSSNB. I refer
the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement issued by the Secretary of State for Education on 28 October 2010, Official Report, columns 14-15WS. In reaching this decision, full account was taken of the associated equality impact assessment, a copy of which is being sent to the union and employer representatives on the SSSNB.
Since its establishment, the SSSNB has not submitted any agreements to the Secretary of State who has now withdrawn the matters that had been referred to the SSSNB by the previous Secretary of State. Because of this, the process used to determine the pay and conditions of school support staff remains unchanged and these will continue to be determined at a local level. Employers are, of course, under an obligation to ensure that any pay and grading structure that they put in place complies fully with the requirements of equality legislation.
The Government believe that schools should be free to organise staff and resources to address local priorities and needs, without undue or unnecessary influence, or intervention, from Government. The existence of a national negotiating body for support staff pay and conditions is not consistent with this aim.
Schools: Sports
Mr Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of school sport partnerships in (a) all school settings and (b) primary schools. [25771]
Tim Loughton: While some school sport partnerships have helped schools to raise participation rates in areas targeted by the previous Government, they have also locked schools into a rigid network while forcing them to report on progress which impedes schools' ability to promote sport. The Government are also concerned that, despite this heavy focus on targets, the proportion of pupils playing competitive sport regularly has remained disappointingly low. Only around two in every five pupils play competitive sport regularly within their own school, and only one in five plays regularly against other schools.
Good schools know that playing sport has many benefits. Our approach is to maximise the resources available to schools to allow school leaders to decide how best to provide those benefits for pupils, without specifying a national blueprint of partnerships, programmes and central support.
The Secretary of State's announcement on 20 December outlined the additional central resources available to schools for school sport.
Vocational Education: Special Educational Needs
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consideration Professor Alison Wolf's review of vocational education will give to pupils with special educational needs; and if he will make a statement. [32752]
Mr Gibb: Professor Wolf's review is considering the appropriate place of vocational education for all 14 to 19-year-olds, including those with special educational needs. She will report her conclusions in the spring.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to provide a substantive answer to question 29768, on questions tabled for named day answer, tabled on 6 December 2010 for named day answer on 9 December 2010. [30947]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 15 December 2010]: A response to PQ29768 was issued on 19 January 2011, Official Report, column 858W.
Wales
Departmental Pay
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information her Department holds on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing her Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available. [34808]
Mr David Jones: The Wales Office does not hold any pay information relating to sub-contracted staff.
Departmental Public Appointments
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many (a) women and (b) men have been appointed to public duties by her Department since May 2010; [35389]
(2) what public appointments she has made since her appointment; and to what payments each person so appointed is entitled. [35410]
Driving Standards Agency: Cardiff
Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent (a) discussions and (b) correspondence she has had with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport responsible for the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) on the proposed closure of the DSA office in Cardiff. [34977]
Mr David Jones: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport on a range of issues.
Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when she was informed of the decision to close the Driving Standards Agency in Cardiff; and by whom she was informed of that decision. [34978]
Mr David Jones: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport and his ministerial team on a range of issues.
VAT
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate she has made of the sum which will accrue to the Exchequer attributable to the proposed increase in the standard rate of value added tax in Wales in each of the next five years. [34434]
Mr Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
The estimated total revenue gain from the VAT rate increase on 4 January 2011 is £12.1 billion for 2011-12. We have not attempted to attribute that revenue to particular areas of the UK.
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street: Official Hospitality
Chris Bryant: To ask the Prime Minister what wine was served at the reception at 10 Downing street on 18 January; and at what cost to the public purse. [35920]
The Prime Minister: There were no costs to the public purse.
Members: Surveillance
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Prime Minister whether there have been any changes to the Wilson doctrine since May 2010. [35701]
Communities and Local Government
Billingsgate Market: Conditions of Employment
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) whether financial assistance from (a) his Department and (b) the EU is available to fund the restructuring of terms and conditions of employment for licensed porters at Billingsgate Fish Market; [34788]
(2) what regulations with national extent govern the licensing arrangements for porters at Billingsgate Fish Market; [34789]
(3) what discussions his Department has had with the City of London Corporation on the licensing arrangements of the porters at Billingsgate Fish Market; and if he will make a statement. [34790]
Robert Neill: Licensing arrangements and terms and conditions for porters at Billingsgate market is not for central Government. It is a local issue. The City of London corporation is the landlord of Billingsgate market and the porters are employed by individual fish merchants. I understand that the Billingsgate market byelaws cover aspects of licensing arrangements for porters, but there may of course be licensing issues that extend beyond the reach of byelaws. The City of London has made an application to the Department for Communities and Local Government for the revocation of byelaws relating to Billingsgate market. At present, the application is being considered by officials in my Department and no decision has yet been made as to whether or not to grant provisional approval for the revocation.
The Department for Communities and Local Government does not give any financial assistance to fund the restructuring of terms and conditions of employment for licensed porters at Billingsgate fish
market, and the EU Fisheries Fund does not cover the restructuring of the terms and conditions of employment for the licensed porters.
I can confirm that my Department has had no discussion with the City of London corporation on the licensing arrangements.
Bus Services: Concessions
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the funding allocation in respect of concessionary bus travel was to (a) Oxfordshire district councils for 2010-11 and (b) Oxfordshire county council for 2011-12. [35676]
Robert Neill: Formula grant is an unhypothecated block grant, ie authorities are free to spend it on any service. For this reason, and due to the method of calculating formula grant, particularly floor damping, it is not possible to say how much grant has been provided for any particular service, including concessionary travel.
Empty Dwelling Management Orders
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to help local authorities to bring derelict buildings back into use following changes in the administration of empty dwellings management orders. [34860]
Andrew Stunell: In addition to the proposed changes we will be making on empty dwelling management orders, we have recently completed a consultation on the New Homes Bonus which includes the option of including empty homes within the scheme. This could provide local authorities with a powerful incentive to tackle empty homes as part of their overall approach to meeting housing need.
We will also provide £100 million for housing associations and local authorities to bring over 3,000 empty homes back into use as affordable rented housing. This will enable local authorities to tackle the most difficult properties by providing renovation works and management support.
We will also be reforming the Public Request to Order Disposal (PROD) process. It enables local authorities and citizens alike to ask for the Government's help to bring under or unused land and buildings, owned by various public bodies, back into use. The reforms will enable communities to have greater influence on shaping the future of their areas.
Empty Dwelling Management Orders: Brighton
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties in Brighton and Hove were subject to an Empty Dwelling Management Order in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009 and (d) 2010. [34859]
Andrew Stunell: No properties have ever been subject to an empty dwelling management order in Brighton and Hove.
Home Information Packs
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable he has set for the abolition of home information packs. [33878]
Andrew Stunell: The Localism Bill was laid before Parliament on 13 December 2010 and includes a provision to formally abolish home information packs. Subject to parliamentary approval, the provision will come into force when Royal Assent is achieved.
The Secretary of State suspended the home information pack duties by an Order made under s162 of the Housing Act 2004 which came into effect on 21 May 2010.
Local Government Finance
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what arrangements he has put in place for his Department's internal review of local government finance; what time scale he has set for the review; with whom his Department plans to consult; from whom it plans to take advice as part of its evidence-based approach; and if he will make a statement. [35584]
Robert Neill: The Local Growth White Paper "Local Growth: realising every place's potential" confirmed that the Local Government Resource Review would consider proposals to allow local authorities to retain locally-raised business rates. The review will commence in January and develop proposals by July 2011. The Secretary of State will make an announcement shortly about the review and its terms of reference.
Thames Tideway Tunnel
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations his Department has made to Thames Water on the Thames Tideway Tunnel; and if he will publish each item of correspondence between his Department and Hammersmith and Fulham Council on this matter. [34804]
Robert Neill: My Department has made no representations to Thames Water on the Thames Tideway tunnel or exchanged correspondence with Hammersmith and Fulham council on this matter.
Travellers: Caravan Sites
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress he has made on updating ODPM circular 01/2006 (Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites); when he expects an updated or replacement circular to be published; and if he will make a statement. [34915]
Robert Neill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Witham (Priti Patel) on 17 January 2011, Official Report, column 497W.
Justice
Departmental Artworks
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on artwork since May 2010. [35206]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice and its agencies have spent no money on artwork since May 2010.
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many artworks his Department has moved since May 2010. [35357]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice does not hold a central record of artwork that has been moved. Providing these details would require individual offices being contacted separately and a sift through their specific records. As a result the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Offices
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on the redecoration of ministerial offices since May 2010. [35359]
Mr Djanogly: No ministerial offices have been redecorated since May 2010. Therefore there has been no expenditure on this.
Departmental Official Cars
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) make and (b) model was of each Government Car Service car that have been used by his Department since May 2010; and which Minister used each car. [35250]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Between May and September 2010, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) was allocated four cars to its Ministers. One was a Jaguar XJ TDVi Sovereign, one was a Toyota Prius T3 and two were Honda Civic ES Hybrid. This was supplemented by the use of pool cars as needed.
Since September 2010, I have an allocated Jaguar XJ TDVi Sovereign, which other departmental Ministers are expected to make use of, before calling on the car pool. The majority of journeys made in pool cars since September 2010 were made in a Toyota Prius T3 or a Honda Civic ES Hybrid, with occasional journeys in other Government Car Service approved models. It is unfortunately not possible to provide a list of which ministerial journeys have been made in which models.
The Home Office provides the arrangements in relation to the Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice, who also has ministerial responsibilities at the Ministry of Justice.
The Government's policy is that Ministers may make use of the Government Car Service (GCS) under the terms of the new Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010. This states that
"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
The Ministerial Code is available on the Cabinet Office website.
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Ministerial cars have been used by his Department since May 2010. [35252]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Between May and September 2010, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) was allocated four cars to its Ministers. This was supplemented by the use of pool cars as needed.
Since September 2010, I have an allocated car, which other departmental Ministers are expected to make use of, before calling on the car pool. It is unfortunately not possible to identify how many different cars have been used by MOJ Ministers since September 2010.
The Home Office provides the arrangements in relation to the Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice, who also has ministerial responsibilities at the Ministry of Justice.
The Government's policy is that Ministers may make use of the Government Car Service (GCS) under the terms of the new Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010. This states that
"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
Ministers are permitted to use an official car for official business and for home to office journeys within a reasonable distance of London on the understanding that they would normally be carrying classified papers on which they would be working. Where practicable, Ministers are encouraged to use public transport.
The Ministerial Code is available on the Cabinet Office website.
Departmental Pay
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing his Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available. [34813]
Mr Djanogly: This information is not held centrally. Prime contractors are obliged to notify my Department of any sub-contractors they intend to use, but this typically extends to the name and address of the sub-contractor and does not include detail of the actual number of sub-contracted staff or their pay rates. Further, information on sub-contracted companies could be gathered only at disproportionate cost, as a data collection exercise would entail a manual search of procurement case files.
Departmental Pay
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) total cost to his Department of expenditure on salaries and (b) average cost of such expenditure in respect of staff employed on fixed term contracts in his Department was in the latest period for which figures are available. [35256]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: In the financial year 2009-10 the Ministry of Justice spend £2,743,368,000 on staff salaries. This figure is published on page 92 of the Ministry of Justice Resource Accounts 2009-10 and can be found at the following link:
With regard to the question about the average cost in respect of fixed term staff, this information is not held centrally and it would incur disproportionate cost to produce such a figure. Information on staff salaries and staff employment status are not held on the same database. It would be necessary identify each staff member on a fixed contract and find their salary in order to generate an average.
Departmental Photography
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on photography since May 2010. [35358]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice has spent £2,577 on photography since May 2010. This expenditure was by Her Majesty's Courts Service and the National Offender Management Service for official events.
In MOJ headquarters, all photography is done in-house by the Communications team at no extra cost to the taxpayer.
Departmental Redundancy
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on redundancy costs since May 2010. [35254]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: There have been no redundancies since May 2010, therefore there are no costs.
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff in his Department have been made redundant since May 2010. [35255]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Since May 2010, no staff redundancies have occurred. Where reorganisations have taken place, any displaced staff have been redeployed to alternative duties, gained employment elsewhere, or have applied for and received voluntary early departure.
Departmental Travel
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on Ministerial travel since May 2010. [35251]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Between May and December 2010, the Ministry of Justice spent £14,000 on ministerial public and overseas transport costs via GPC. This includes the costs of officials travelling with Ministers as these costs cannot be broken down without incurring disproportionate costs.
£284 was spent between May and October on taxi fares for Ministers.
This Department spent £152,000 on the Government Car Service for ministerial transport between 1 May and 31 December 2010.
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on travel by officials since May 2010. [35354]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: Ministry of Justice HQ has spent £1,235,588 on travel by officials since May 2010.
HM Courts Service has spent £1,640,638 on travel by officials since May 2010.
The National Offender Management Service has spent £8,888,000 on travel by officials since May 2010. This figure does not include travel costs for long-term detached duty and overseas travel. In both these cases travel and subsistence costs are accounted together and it would incur disproportionate costs to analyse each transaction to determine whether it is a travel or subsistence charge.
The Office of the Public Guardian has spent £118,000 on travel by officials since May 2010.
The Tribunals Service does not have separate accounts for travel and subsistence for the period requested. It would incur disproportionate costs to analyse each transaction to indentify whether it is a travel or subsistence charge.
All staff are responsible for minimising business travel and are advised to consider whether they can use video or teleconferencing instead of travel. When travel is necessary staff are instructed to choose the most effective means of travel in terms of time, cost and sustainability to minimise carbon footprint.
Divorce
George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals in respect of divorce settlements. [34921]
Mr Djanogly: The Family Justice Review is considering the process around divorce and financial settlement on divorce (ancillary relief) but not the substantive law. Concurrent consideration of these technically difficult areas would have been unmanageable and impinge on the deliverability and timescale for much needed reform of the family justice system overall. The review is due to publish an interim report in the spring.
On 11 January the Law Commission launched a public consultation on marital property agreements, following the decision of the Supreme Court last year in Radmacher v. Granatino. The Law Commission is seeking views on the desirability and feasibility of a range of potential options for reforming the law of pre-nuptial, post-nuptial and separation agreements-contracts made by couples before or during their marriage or civil partnership that are intended to govern their financial arrangements if the relationship ends. The consultation closes on 11 April 2011. The Government will await recommendations from the Law Commission before considering how to proceed.
Drugs: Reoffenders
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of those convicted of drug-related offences in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009 had a previous conviction of any sort. [34856]
Mr Blunt: Table 1 gives the figures for the percentage of offenders convicted of drug offences in 2007-09 who had previously been convicted for any type of offence(s).
| Table 1: Percentage of offenders convicted for drug offences who had a previous conviction for any type of offence(s) in 2007-09 | |
| Year of sentence | Percentage |
The figures presented in table 1 have been taken from the dataset used for Table 6.1 of Sentence Statistics 2009 published by the Ministry of Justice on 24 October 2010. The figures are based on offences of drug possession, supply, production or import/export of drugs. The Ministry of Justice is unable to identify offences which may be drug-related but are not specifically drug offences.
These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
Film
Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on film production, including the filming of speeches, since May 2010. [35356]
Mr Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice has spent £15,000 on film production since May 2010. This was a joint collaboration between the Tribunals Service and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and focused on the Employment Tribunal.
Any filming of speeches by Ministers would be done by the MOJ's Communications team and produced in-house at no extra cost to the taxpayer.
Ford Prison
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the prison population was on 31 December at HM Prison Ford in each of the last 10 years; [34981]
(2) what the average prison population was at HM Prison Ford in each of the last 10 years. [34982]
Mr Blunt: The following tables shows the relevant information on the prison population for HMP Ford from 2001-10.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
| Table A: Prison population in HMP Ford, as on 31 December of each year 2001-08 and 2010 and on 18 December 2009 | |
| Number | |
| Note: Due to technical problems reported by the MoJ Head of Statistics as announced on 27/09/2009, the publication of Population in custody monthly tables England and Wales' was suspended. Publication resumed in April 2010. Sources: 2001 and 2002 taken from Table 3 of the 'Prison Population Brief England and Wales' published December 2001 and December 2002. 2003 taken from Table A of the 'F1032 End of month prison population tables, December 2003'. 2004-08 taken from Table 4 of the 'Population in custody monthly tables England and Wales' for December 2004 to 2008. 2009 data taken from NOMS 'Prison Population and Accommodation Briefing' as on 18/12/2009, the closest available date. 2010 is taken from the prison population as published in the 31/12/10 NOMS 'Prison Population and Accommodation Briefing'. | |
| Table B: Average prison population in HMP Ford, from 2001-10 | |
| Number | |
| Note: Due to technical problems relating to the supply of data for statistical purposes, the average annual populations for 2009 and 2010 use data compiled on a slightly different basis for July 2009 to February 2010. Sources: 'Prison Population and Accommodation Briefing'; 'F1032 End of month prison population tables'; 'Population in custody monthly tables, England and Wales' and 'Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin'. | |
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) on how many occasions an offender has been sent to HM Prison Ford who would fall outside of the normal selection criteria for placement there in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement; [34983]
(2) on how many occasions an offender has been sent to HM Prison Ford without a full risk assessment having been carried out in the last 12 months; [34984]
(3) what criteria are used to (a) assess the level of risk posed by a prisoner and (b) determine an offender's suitability for placement at HM Prison Ford. [34985]
Mr Blunt: Prisoners are categorised and allocated to open prison (category D) following an established risk assessment process set out in the National Security Framework as amended by Prison Service Instructions 16/2008 and 3/2009, which remain in force. Prisoners may be assessed as suitable for open conditions if they present a low risk of harm to the public, are considered to be trustworthy not to abscond from low security conditions and, for those serving a lengthy prison sentence, in general, within two years of their earliest release date. Prisoners who do not meet these criteria are not moved to open conditions, and those who are later considered to have increased those risks whilst in open conditions would be moved back to closed conditions.
Sending prisons are aware of Ford's acceptance criteria, and so prisoners who do not meet these criteria are not sent there. All prisoners transferred to Ford have been risk assessed as suitable for category D.
Members: Correspondence
Mr Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of (a) 17 November and (b) 14 December 2010 regarding a constituent, Mr Allison. [35774]
Mr Kenneth Clarke: I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Prisoners' Transfers;
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the effect on HM Prison (a) Preston, (b) Garth and (c) Wymott of receiving prisoners displaced from other prisons in the region. [35267]
Mr Blunt: In the management of the prison population the aim is to hold prisoners in establishments that provide the level of security required, are suitable for their gender, age and legal status, provide special facilities appropriate to prisoner needs and are near to their homes or the courts dealing with their cases
Prisoners are moved from one prison to another as part of their sentence plan, following re-categorisation, where requested or where there is an operational need to do so.
As a local prison which serves the courts in the area, HMP Preston's main function is to hold unconvicted and unsentenced prisoners and, once a prisoner had been sentenced, to allocate them on to an appropriate training prison to serve their sentence.
As training prisons, HMPs Garth and Wymott regularly receive sentenced prisoners from other establishments in the North West, including local prisons such as HMP Preston, as well as from other establishments across the estate.
Prisons: Drugs
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many visitors to prisons in England and Wales were found in possession of (a) class A and (b) class B drugs in 2009-10. [34749]
Mr Blunt: Information on the number of visitors to prisons in England and Wales found in possession of class A and class B drugs is not recorded centrally. To provide the information would require a detailed investigation into all local records and incur disproportionate cost.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many finds of (a) Class A and (b) Class B drugs there were in jails in England and Wales in 2009-10. [35069]
Mr Blunt: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) collates the number and type of drug seizures in prisons. The number of drug seizures in prisons in England and Wales in 2009-10 is given in the following table. Many seizures are similar in appearance and where not attributable are not categorically identified by scientific analysis.
| Drugs | Number of seizures |
These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The data are not subject to audit.
Prisons: Employment
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what process he has put in place for private employers seeking to establish an employment project within a prison. [34904]
Mr Blunt: The development of prisoners' employment skills help them to become productive members of society and improves their chances of gaining employment on release, which we know is a major contributor to turning them away from crime.
There are already examples of successful partnerships between prisons and private sector organisations; whether employers are recruiting offenders directly from prison, running a prison workshop, providing the chance of employment on release or helping shape policy and practice.
Through our Green Paper 'Breaking the Cycle: Effective punishment, rehabilitation and sentencing of offenders', published on 7 December 2010, we are consulting with the private sector about how we can increase further their participation in providing work and training in prisons.
We will continue to identify senior business leaders to champion the role and contribution of employers in rehabilitating offenders through skills development and employment in both prisons and the community.
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which private employers provide prisoners with work in prisons. [34905]
Mr Blunt: There are a number of private sector organisations that currently support work in prisons and the Government are currently considering how best to work with the private and voluntary sectors to provide further work and training opportunities for prisoners, including an increased number of employer led workshops in prisons.
A list of 'contract services' customers(1) (including many from the private sector) is available on the HM Prison Service website via the following link:
A number of other organisations from the private sector, including Timpson's, Travis Perkins, National Grid, Cisco Systems, Speedy Hire plc and DHL/Booker, work in partnership with the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) to provide prison training workshops offering training to prisoners and the chance of employment on release.
There are many examples of successful partnerships across NOMS, whether employers are recruiting offenders directly from prison, running a prison workshop, providing work placements or helping shape policy and practice.
(1) Where organisations use prison facilities and prisoner labour to carry out services or manufacture/assemble goods under contract.
(2) Refer to 'Related Documents' at the end of the website page.
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisons have vacant prison workshop spaces. [34909]
Mr Blunt: Information in relation to the number of public sector prisons in England and Wales that currently have unused prison workshops is not held centrally and could be obtained only by contacting individual prison establishments at disproportionate cost.
Prosecutions: Cycling
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cyclists were prosecuted for road traffic offences in each of the last five years. [35451]
Mr Blunt: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for pedal cycle offences in England and Wales, from 2005-09 (latest available) is shown in the following table.
Court proceedings data for 2010 are planned for publication in spring 2011.
| Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for pedal cycle offences( 1) , England and Wales, 2005-09( 2, 3, 4) | |
| Number | |
| (1) Includes offences under: Highways Act 1835 as amended by Local Government Act 1888, Statute Law Revision (No.2) Act 1888, Highways Act 1959, Criminal Justice Act 1967 and Criminal Justice Act 1982; Metropolitan Police Act 1839 and byelaws; Road Traffic Act 1988; Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984; Pedal Cycles (Constructions and Use) Regulations 1983; Motorways Traffic (England and Wales) Regulations 1982; Highways Act 1980; Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings 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, it 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. (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. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services: Ministry of Justice. | |
Rape
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the longest sentence received by a woman prosecuted for (a) perverting the course of justice, (b) perjury and (c) wasting police time was following the withdrawal of a complaint of rape or domestic violence in the latest period for which figures are available; [35172]
(2) how many prosecutions for offences of rape were discontinued following a withdrawal by the victim between May 2010 and the latest date for which figures are available; and how many such prosecutions were discontinued in the same period in 2009; [35468]
(3) how many women who have retracted a complaint of rape or domestic violence were prosecuted for (a) wasting police time, (b) perjury and (c) perverting the course of justice between May 2010 and the latest date
for which figures are available; and how many such prosecutions there were in the same period in 2009; [35469]
(4) how many prosecutions for offences of domestic violence were discontinued following a retraction by the victim between May 2010 and the latest date for which figures are available; and how many such prosecutions were discontinued in the same period in 2009. [35470]
Mr Blunt: The Ministry of Justice's Court Proceedings Database (CPD) holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. The CPD does not hold specific information on offences beyond descriptions provided in the statutes under which prosecutions are brought. It is not possible to identify from data held on proceedings brought against females for perverting the course of justice, perjury and wasting police time, those resulting from the withdrawal of a complaint of rape or domestic violence. Neither is it possible to separately identify domestic violence offences from other offences of assault and violence against the person nor the reasons why proceedings have been discontinued.
Court proceedings data for 2010 are planned for publication in spring 2011.
Reoffenders: North Yorkshire
Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reoffending rate was for prisons in North Yorkshire in the latest period for which figures are available. [35146]
Mr Blunt: The latest available re-offending rates for prisons in North Yorkshire are provided in Table 1 as published by the Ministry of Justice in the Compendium of Reoffending Statistics and Analysis in November 2010.
Table 1 shows reoffending rates for North Yorkshire prisons (Wealstun and Leeds) in 2007 presented by prison category and prison sentence length (under 12 months and 12 months and over sentences).
The reoffending rates provided have been calculated based on the prison from which an offender was discharged and ignores the time spent at other institutions during that sentence.
The table also shows the average number of previous offences, average number of custodial sentences and the average age of the offenders discharged from North Yorkshire prisons in 2007. This illustrates that different prisons can have populations with a substantially different likelihood of reoffending.
| Table 1: Reoffending rates for North Yorkshire prisons 2007 | |||||
| Prison | Number of offenders discharged | Reoffending rate (%) | Average number of previous offences per offender | Average number of previous custodial sentences per offender | Average age per offender |
Young offender institution reoffending rates are not included for Northallerton and Wetherby, as the work published to date only considered adult prisons.
More information on the individual prison reoffending rates is available from the Ministry of Justice website:
Unpaid Fines: Wales
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the amount of unpaid fines and fees was in each justice region of Wales in (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08, (c) 2008-09 and (d) 2009-10. [35009]
Mr Djanogly: The amount of financial penalties outstanding in each of the Wales justice regions is:
| £ | ||||
| Dyfed Powys | Gwent | North Wales | South Wales | |
The amount outstanding can relate to fines imposed in that year or any previous year as fines are not always paid in the period which they are imposed and includes fines which are being paid in accordance with payment plans and the outstanding balance is therefore not all in arrears.
Wills
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to regulate will writing for the purposes of ensuring that all testamentary documents prepared for reward are prepared by qualified professionals. [35065]
Mr Djanogly: The Legal Services Act 2007 (LSA) contains provisions which allow the Legal Services Board to recommend to me that a legal service such as will writing becomes a reserved legal activity.
Since the Legal Services Board (LSB) is currently investigating whether or not it would be in the interests of the legal consumer to regulate will writing, it will be more appropriate for me to await the outcome of that investigation before making an assessment of next steps.
Cabinet Office
Company Liquidations
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of new businesses ceased trading in their first year in the latest period for which figures are available. [35917]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of new businesses ceased trading in their first year in the latest period for which figures are available. [35917]
Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births, deaths and survivals are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
ONS does not produce figures on the number of enterprises that ceased trading within their first year. However, the table below contains the latest statistics on business survival, which show the number of enterprise births in 2008, and the number that survived into 2009.
| Enterprise births in 2008 and survival into 2009 | |
| Number/percentage | |
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of new businesses ceased trading in their first five years in the latest period for which figures are available. [35918]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of new businesses ceased trading in their first five years in the latest period for which figures are available. [35918]
Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births, deaths and survivals are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
ONS does not produce figures on the number of enterprises that ceased trading within their first five years. However, the table below contains the latest statistics on business survival, which show the number of enterprise births in 2004, and their survival over five years.
| Enterprise births in 2004 and their survival over five years | ||
| Number | Percentage | |
Employment
Amber Rudd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of the working age population of (a) Hastings and Rye constituency, (b) Hastings borough council area, (c) East Sussex, (d) the South East and (e) the UK are (i) employed in the public sector, (ii) employed in the private sector and (iii) unemployed. [35012]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of the working age population of (a) Hasting and Rye constituency, (b) Hasting Borough Council area, (c) East Sussex, (d) the South East and (e) the UK are (i) employed in the public sector, (ii) employed in the private sector and (iii) unemployed. (035012)
Public and private sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Table 1 shows the levels and proportions of the resident population aged 16 to 64 years employed in the private and public sector in (a) Hasting and Rye constituency, (b) Hasting Borough Council area, (c) East Sussex, (d) the South East and (e) the UK. Data has been provided for the most recent APS period, July 2009 to June 2010.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
Table 2, shows the number and proportions of persons aged 16 to 64 years resident in (a) Hasting and Rye constituency, (b) Hasting Borough Council area, (c) East Sussex, (d) the South East and (e) the UK claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for December 2010, the most recent period for which figures are available.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
| Table 2: Number of persons aged 16-64 years claiming jobseeker's allowance resident in UK, South East, East Sussex county council, Hastings borough council, Hastings and Rye parliamentary constituency-December 2010 | ||
| Level | Proportion (percentage) | |
| Note: Figures rounded to the nearest 5. Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system | ||
Voluntary Organisations
Peter Aldous: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he plans to take to help protect voluntary sector organisations from closure. [34104]
Mr Hurd: The Government are committed to making it easier to run a voluntary or community sector organisation, to get more resources into the sector and to make it easier to do business with the state.
To that end, the Government have set out a number of activities to support the sector. For example, the recently announced £100 million Transition Fund to support the sector through these challenging times and take advantage of the future opportunities presented by the big society. The renewed compact will strengthen the capacity of the sector and improve the partnership between the Government and civil society organisations, for the benefit of citizens and communities. A big society bank is currently being developed to help social enterprises, charities and voluntary organisations to access more resources. The recently published Commissioning Green Paper highlights the Government's commitment to reforming the commissioning process to enable charities, social enterprises and employee-owned co-operatives a bigger role in delivering more innovative, diverse and responsive public services.
At the same time, the Government are listening to the sector. It recently ran a consultation "Supporting a Stronger Civil Society" on how to improve support for front-line voluntary and community groups, charities and social enterprises.
Working Hours
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average number of hours worked per week by (a) men and (b) women in full-time employment was in each year for which figures are available. [35748]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the average number of hours worked per week by (a) men and (b) women in full-time employment were in each year. 35748.
The table provides the information requested for the September to November quarter each year from 1992 onwards. Comparable estimates are not available prior to 1992. The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and are seasonally adjusted. They are published in the monthly Labour Market Statistical Bulletin which is available on the National Statistics website.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Indications of the sampling variability of LFS aggregate estimates are provided in the Statistical Bulletin.
Home Department
Deportation of Convicted Foreign Nationals
19. Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure the deportation of foreign nationals convicted of criminal offences. [35109]
Damian Green: Tough enforcement is the cornerstone of this Government's immigration police. We strongly believe that foreign law breakers should be removed from the UK at the earliest possible opportunity. We will seek to deport any foreign national criminal who meets our deportation criteria.
Gang-related Youth Violence: London
20. Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the level of gang-related youth violence in London. [35110]
James Brokenshire: We engage in regular discussion with the Mayor of London and the Metropolitan police and I know that both are strongly committed to tackling this problem. The Government also takes gang violence very seriously. New civil injunctions to tackle gangs will go live nationally on 31 January. I know that partners in London are already looking at the potential for using these new powers.
UK Border Agency
22. Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff work for the UK Border Agency. [35112]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency's workforce was 23,235 full-time equivalents, at the end of December 2010, of which 21,588 are classed as 'staff'. The remainder are; 1,398 locally engaged, 161 agency workers and 88 Contractors and secondments.
Nottingham PCSOs
23. Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the likely number of police community support officers in Nottinghamshire police at the end of the comprehensive spending review period. [35113]
Nick Herbert:
This Government believes that police community support officers are a crucial part of the policing family providing a visible, uniformed presence
on our streets. That is why we have maintained the Neighbourhood Policing fund for a transitional period until the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners. It is, however, ultimately for police forces and authorities, and in future for PCCs, to determine how they deploy their personnel.
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are currently under restrictions from anti social behaviour orders in (a) the North West and (b) England and Wales. [35301]
James Brokenshire: The latest available data on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued cover the period 1 April 1999 to 31 December 2008. The north-west region comprises the following Criminal Justice System (CJS) areas: Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.
The number of ASBOs issued at all courts in the north-west region, and in England and Wales, are 3,560 and 16,999 respectively. These figures include ASBOs made on application which became available from 1 April 1999 and ASBOs made following conviction for a relevant criminal offence, which became available for offences committed on or after 2 December 2002.
ASBOs can be of a fixed duration (for a minimum of two years) or made until further order. Furthermore, courts have the power to vary ASBOs, including their durations and the details of any such variations are not centrally collected by the Ministry of Justice. It is therefore not possible to determine from centrally collected data how many ASBOs are in force at a particular point in time except by reference to individual court files which could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
ASBO data for 2009 are due to be published on 25 January 2011.
British Citizenship
Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals of each original nationality have been deprived of British citizenship in each year since the Immigration and Asylum Act 2006 came into force. [33472]
Damian Green: Section 56 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 which relates to deprivation of British citizenship, came into force on 16 June 2006.
Since that date, nine individuals have been deprived of their British citizenship. Their original nationalities were one Australian, one Iraqi, one Pakistani, one Albanian, two Sudanese, one Russian, one Egyptian and one Lebanese. This information has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such, it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.
Coroners: Legal Costs
Jeremy Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if she will estimate the cost to the public purse of (a) investigations by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and (b) inquests and
other associated action relating to deaths during or following police contact including involving police vehicles in each financial year since 2007-08; [34523]
(2) if she will estimate the cost of legal representation for the state at completed inquests into cases relating to deaths during or following police contact including involving police vehicles in each financial year since 2007-08. [34531]
Nick Herbert: The relevant information is not collated centrally, nor held by the Home Office.
Crime
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the level of reported crime (a) overall and (b) for each category of crime in each of the (i) 100 most deprived wards and (ii) 100 least deprived wards in each of the last five years. [35229]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 21 January 2011]: Information at ward level is not collected centrally. The lowest level for which the Home Office routinely collects crime data is for Community Safety Partnership areas.
Demonstrations: English Defence League
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received requesting consideration of banning the proposed English Defence League march in Luton on 5 February 2011; and if she will make a statement. [35580]
James Brokenshire: The Secretary of State for the Home Department has received representations from councillors on Luton borough council and members of the public requesting consideration of a ban on the proposed march by the English Defence League (EDL) in Luton on 5 February. The Home Secretary has however received no formal application to ban the march.
Any application to ban a march would be considered against the legal tests in the Public Order Act 1986.
Departmental Pay
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on the number of subcontracted staff servicing her Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available. [34815]
Nick Herbert: The Home Department does not hold information on the number and remuneration of staff employed by companies which are subcontracted to the Department's contractors. The exception is where employment agencies are contracted to provide temporary staff to the Department. The Department is able to confirm that temporary staff, who are on subcontracted terms to the agencies, are paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage.
Detainees: Sexuality
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration she has given to the participation of (a) women and (b) lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in the detained fast-track procedure. [34910]
Damian Green: Entry to the detained fast-track procedure is determined by reference to published policy available on the UK Border Agency website. The policy lays out categories of claimant who, for reasons of particular vulnerability such as late pregnancy, children or serious disability, are excluded from entry to the process. For all other claimants, the key factor determining entry to the process is whether a quick, fair and sustainable decision can be taken on the case.
We do not intend to specifically add to an exclusion list all applicants on the basis of claimed or accepted gender, gender identity or sexuality. However, if on a case by case basis, any claimants from these groups are identified as having a claim of particular complexity, the general consideration referred to previously regarding amenability to a quick, fair and sustainable decision will apply.
Drugs: Crime
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding from her Department's drugs budget is allocated to (a) the criminal justice system, (b) drug treatment services and (c) drugs education. [35184]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 21 January 2011]: The Home Office budget is not divided into the categories in the question. The following budgets have been allocated for the financial period 2010-11:
| £ million | |
| (1) Funding for delivery of the Drug Interventions Programme (DIP), includes grants to local areas, grants and costs for drug testing and for the programme's information systems. (2) Grant funding for a range of projects which supported delivery of the Drug Strategy in terms of developing innovation and best practice. (3) Positive Futures programme provides grants to local prevention projects that target vulnerable and at risk 10 to 19-year-olds aiming to stop them from becoming drawn into crime and substance misuse and supporting them in moving forward with their lives. (4) Funding to provide a named drugs worker in every Youth Offending Team in England and Wales. | |
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the proportion of acquisitive crime attributable to (a) heroin addicts, (b) crack cocaine addicts, (c) cocaine addicts and (d) cannabis users in the latest period for which figures are available. [35185]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 21 January 2011]: The Home Office has not produced estimates of the proportion of acquisitive crime attributable to individual drug types.
The most recent Home Office estimate of the proportion of acquisitive crime which was related to the use of Class A drugs was published in 2005. This estimated that between one-third and a half of all acquisitive crime was related to use of Class A drugs.
Reference:
Macdonald, Z. et al (2005) 'Measuring the harm from illegal drugs using the Drug Harm Index' Home Office Online Report 24/05:
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her review of student visas will examine the ability of students to bring their dependents with them to the UK. [35499]
Damian Green: On 7 December the Government launched a public consultation on reform of the student immigration system; copies are available in the House Library. Section 7 of the consultation considers limiting the entitlements of students to bring their family members with them to the UK.
Freedom Bill
Kris Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to publish the Freedom Bill. [34990]
James Brokenshire: As set out in the Home Office business plan (published on 8 November 2010), we will introduce a Freedom Bill by February 2011.
Human Trafficking
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her strategy is for reducing the incidence of human trafficking. [35056]
Damian Green: Combating human trafficking is a key priority for the Government. Our approach involves tackling organised crime groups who profit from this human misery and supporting protecting victims.
A new human trafficking strategy is currently in development, due for publication in the spring.
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many decisions by the competent authority regarding the National Referral Mechanism have been reversed since 1 April 2009; and if she will make a statement. [35227]
Damian Green [holding answer 21 January 2011]: Since the National Referral Mechanism commenced on 1 April 2009 there are 19 recorded cases where the decision has been formally reversed following reconsideration by the Competent Authority. The Competent Authority's decision is often the result of multi-agency consultation and will be reconsidered if significant additional information becomes available after the initial decision is made.
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what scope the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Trafficking has to examine policies and practices on human trafficking across Government. [35276]
Damian Green [holding answer 21 January 2011]: The Government recognise the importance of monitoring the progress of anti-trafficking efforts in the UK and our international obligations.
The Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group has full scope to examine and monitor human trafficking policy and practices in the UK.
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Trafficking has issued since its inception. [35277]
Damian Green [holding answer 21 January 2011]: The Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group does not issue reports.
Illegal Immigrants
Mr Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department plans to take to control illegal immigration. [35093]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency is committed to combating illegal immigration in line with the agency's strategic threat assessment and crime control strategy. By working with UK and international law enforcement organisations, the agency focuses its investigative effort to disrupt and dismantle organised crime networks that cause the greatest harm.
Over 55% of all passenger movements into and out of the UK are currently covered by the e-Borders system. This is being used to target would be illegal immigrants, as well as terrorist suspects and known criminals, before they cross the border. Additionally, a network of staff in key countries abroad issue biometric visas, collect intelligence and prevent people with forged documents from boarding planes, to prevent high risk individuals from entering the UK.
Teams working around the country investigate immigration offences and take action against illegal workers and those that employ them. The Government also allow only restricted access to a limited range of state funded benefits to those here illegally. The UK Border Agency deports foreign national prisoners and removes illegal immigrants who have no lawful basis to remain here, and who refuse to leave the country voluntarily.
This Government have committed to creating a new National Crime Agency. This will include a new Border Police Command to strengthen the operational response to organised crime and better secure our borders-a key national security requirement. This command will enable the development and execution of a single coherent border security strategy, drawing on a single national threat assessment. This will deliver our commitment, made in the coalition programme for government, to establish a border police force to "enhance national security, improve immigration controls and crack down on the trafficking of people, weapons and drugs".
Institute for Public Policy Research
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department provided to the Institute for Public Policy Research in 2008-09; and what the purposes were of such funding. [33736]
Damian Green: In 2008-09, the Home Office provided funding of £90,000 towards the "Economics of Migration" report by the Institute for Public Policy Research.
Kerb Crawling: Newham
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps she has taken to prevent kerb crawling in the London borough of Newham. [35317]
James Brokenshire: The Government understand the nuisance and distress that is caused by kerb crawling and supports action to prevent it.
The prevention of kerb crawling in Newham is a matter for the Metropolitan police and other appropriate local agencies. The law has recently been changed to allow the police to arrest kerb crawlers without having to prove that they had engaged in this conduct persistently. We want to see the police use this measure where appropriate to apprehend those who engage in this activity.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to answer the letter sent to the Minister for Immigration by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 6 December 2010 with regard to Mrs Attia Akhtar. [34751]
Damian Green: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 13 January 2011.
National DNA Database
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted of (a) rape and (b) murder through evidence drawn from the National DNA Database. [35083]
James Brokenshire: Data on the number of convictions obtained in which DNA match evidence from the National DNA Database (NDNAD) was a contributory factor are not collected centrally.
Police: Demonstrations
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested by the Metropolitan police service for suspected offences in the course of demonstrations against tuition fees; and how many such people have been charged. [32618]
Nick Herbert [holding answer 10 January 2011]: As of 12 January, the total number of arrests resulting from each of the student protests was as follows:
| Arrests | |
| Number | |
| (1) To prevent breach of the peace. (2) For substantive offences. | |
With regard to charges, two persons have so far been charged. However, the police will not charge individuals until they are satisfied that all the evidence of any offences committed on the day have been identified. This allows a proper investigation of all possible offences so that in consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, the police can consider the most appropriate charge, taking into account the seriousness of the offence or offences.
Police: Pensions
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when she plans to publish the findings of the review of police pensions; [34979]
(2) what timetable she has set for the implementation of changes to the police service pension scheme. [34980]
Nick Herbert: The police pension schemes are included in the scope of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission, which is due to produce its final report in March. The Government will respond thereafter. No timetable has been set for the implementation of any potential changes to the police pension schemes.
In response to the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission's interim report, the Government announced at the spending review that we will implement progressive changes to the level of employee contributions to public service pensions. These changes will be phased in from April 2012.
Any changes will be subject to the normal consultation processes in line with statutory requirements.
Police: Shropshire
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans her Department has for the future budget allocation for the recruitment and retention of police community support officers in the West Mercia police; [34954]
(2) how many community police officers were assigned to duties in Redditch constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. [34995]
Nick Herbert: Information at constituency level is not held centrally. The following table shows police community support officer strength for the West Mercia police force by basic command unit, as at 31 March 2010.
| West Mercia police community support officer strength by basic command unit, 31 March 2010( 1, 2) | |
| BCU | Police community support officers (full-time equivalents) |
| (1) These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Figures include those officers on career breaks and maternity/paternity leave. (2) Source-Home Office using data received from police forces via the Annual Data Requirement. | |
The Government announced on 13 December 2010 as part of the police funding settlement that, in recognition of the essential role police community support officers (PCSOs) play, the Neighbourhood Policing Fund will be maintained over the next two years, before being devolved to police and crime commissioners.
About 90% of the grant is ring-fenced for PCSOs, contributing up to 75% of their salary costs.
Decisions on the recruitment and retention of PCSOs are a matter for the chief constable of West Mercia police and the police authority.
Visas: Fingerprints
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has assessed the merits of introducing compulsory fingerprinting for visitors to the UK with visas. [34858]
Damian Green: The United Kingdom Border Agency introduced the collection of fingerprints for all visa applicants from 2007, and from 30 November 2009 have introduced the capability to verify the fingerprints of passengers with biometric visas on arrival at the UK border against the record which the passenger gave as part of the application process overseas. This process also applies to passengers with biometric entry clearances and biometric residence permits.
Voluntary Organisations: Finance
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans her Department has to make funding available for voluntary sector organisations working with children and young people. [34756]
James Brokenshire: The Government are committed to supporting the role of the voluntary and community sector in tackling youth crime and antisocial behaviour at a local level and responding to the needs of local communities, particularly in delivering diversionary programmes, interventions for offenders, and provision of accommodation for remand and resettlement. The Government will set out their plans for future funding in due course.
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