Human Trafficking

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to reduce human trafficking. [93657]

Damian Green: The Government are implementing their human trafficking strategy, published on 19 July 2011. This focuses on: improving identification and care of victims; enhancing our ability to act early; smarter action at the border; and more co-ordination of our law enforcement efforts in the UK.

The Home Office is also legislating, where appropriate, to implement the EU directive on trafficking in human beings to ensure compliance by April 2013.

7 Feb 2012 : Column 190W

Marriage of Convenience

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suspected sham marriages were reported to the UK Border Agency by Sham Marriage Officers in 2011. [93292]

Damian Green: Members of the clergy who suspect that a couple may be marrying for an immigration advantage can report their suspicions to the UK Border Agency on a voluntary basis.

All reports and allegations submitted to the UK Border Agency are carefully reviewed, and then a decision is made as to the most appropriate course of action.

The UK Border Agency does not hold data centrally on the number of reports made by members of the clergy.

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on the proportion of dioceses which have a Sham Marriage Officer in post. [93293]

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency does not hold this information.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter of 12 December 2011 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr M Akram. [94046]

Damian Green: I refer the right hon. Member to my letter of 23 January 2012.

Olympic Games 2012

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many invitations to attend events at the London 2012 Olympics (a) she, (b) other Ministers in her Department and (c) senior officials in her Department have accepted; and if she will make a statement. [93640]

Damian Green: No Home Office Ministers have accepted invitations to attend events at the London 2012 Olympics.

Information on whether senior officials have accepted invitations to attend events at the London Olympics is not held centrally.

Organised Crime: Injunctions

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many gang injunctions have been issued since 9 January 2012; and what monitoring system she has put in place to ensure their effectiveness. [93139]

James Brokenshire [holding answer 2 February 2012]: The Home Office does not collect data on a mandatory basis on the use of gang injunctions by local authorities and the police. However, we know that several applications are already in progress following the commencement of the legislation as it applies to 14 to 17-year-olds on 9 January 2012.

Section 50 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009 requires a review of gang injunctions within three years of their commencement. To inform this review we have developed a voluntary national data collection form which we are encouraging all injunction applicants to complete.

7 Feb 2012 : Column 191W

Public Health England

Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health on (a) Public Health England's new responsibility for all drug recovery budgets and (b) placing a duty on Public Health England to reduce crime rates. [92734]

James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers regularly meet colleagues across Government as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Drug recovery is an important priority for the Government, and both the Home Office and the Department of Health are keen to ensure that the intrinsic links between health issues and crime and reoffending rates are accounted for in the new local landscape.

Under the health reform proposals it is local authorities that will have responsibility for commissioning and delivering public health services for their community, which will include drug and alcohol treatment services. We are therefore working to ensure local partners are fully supported in their delivery of public health outcomes from April 2013, including those that contribute towards drug recovery.

The Public Health Outcomes Framework also includes specific crime-related indicators on violent crime reduction, reducing reoffending and reducing the number of first time entrants into the youth justice system. These indicators should encourage integrated working with criminal justice system partners and local ownership of joint outcomes.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Dr McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her assessment is of the present level of threat from dissident IRA terrorists on the UK mainland. [93537]

James Brokenshire: The threat level in Great Britain from Northern Ireland-related terrorism has been at “substantial” since September 2010, indicating that an attack is likely, but not imminent. The assessment is based on a range of factors, including the latest intelligence on the capability and intent of terrorist groups.

Threat levels are kept under review and are altered as required on the basis of the available intelligence.

Trials

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what ongoing trials her Department is undertaking for the purpose of improving its operations; and what the cost to the public purse has been of each such trial. [93822]

Damian Green: The Home Office undertakes quality control and operational improvement work routinely, as part of normal business. Those costs reside within operational budgets, rather than being treated separately including for accounting purposes.

7 Feb 2012 : Column 192W

UK Border Agency

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Oxbridge-IT Ltd was awarded a contract with the UK Border Agency; when and for what reason this contract was terminated; and if she will make a statement. [86884]

Damian Green [holding answer 15 December 2011]:Oxbridge IT Ltd has not been a supplier to UK Border Agency. They were however a supplier to IBM, who are contracted to deliver services in support of the Immigration Casework Programme (ICW).

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the capacity of UK Border Agency staff to improve their performance in respect of enforced removals. [93304]

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency (UKBA) maintains a strong focus on removing those with no right to remain in the UK and enforcing the removal of those who fail to leave voluntarily forms a key component of our enforcement strategy. Between 1 January and 30 September 2011, 26,962 illegal migrants in the UK were removed or voluntarily departed.

We have identified a range of actions to drive improvements and are undergoing a change programme focused on the creation of a new removals directorate and process improvements in the management of removals across the country. Linked to this, we have a programme to improve our country planning process and charter programme. The UK Border Agency undertakes approximately 60 charter flights per year and last year we removed over 2,000 individuals on charter flights. We continue to exploit opportunities to increase returns. This includes opening and consolidating new charter routes to Ghana, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

A major element of our programme to achieve a step change in overall removals is through expanding significantly the resource directed to encouraging those still in the country without legitimate leave to exit the country voluntarily, and then removing those who refuse to return home. Steps are being taken to enhance absconder tracing and streamline processes to improve the success rate of enforcement operations. The agency will continue to focus on maximising productivity from all its enforcement assets including reporting centres, arrest teams, immigration removal centres and charter flights.

Attorney-General

Bribery

6. Mr Sutcliffe: To ask the Attorney-General what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the successful application by the Serious Fraud Office to confiscate dividends paid by companies convicted of bribery. [93676]

The Attorney-General: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the oral question from the hon. Member for Hammersmith (Mr Slaughter) earlier today.

7 Feb 2012 : Column 193W

Crime: Victims

Chris Evans: To ask the Attorney-General what steps the Crown Prosecution Service is taking to improve the support it provides to victims and witnesses. [93735]

The Attorney-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is committed to supporting the effective participation of victims and witnesses at all stages of the criminal justice process, a commitment which is outlined in the CPS Core Quality Standards (CQS) published in March 2010.

The CPS continues to identify ways to improve the service delivered to victims and witnesses. In December 2011, it extended the service provided to bereaved families in homicide cases. The CPS now offers to meet the bereaved family at important stages of the Criminal Justice System (CJS) process, commencing with the charging decision, through to supporting the family where cases progress to the Court of Appeal.

The CPS welcomes today's publication of the HMCPSI joint inspection report and will be giving the recommendations full consideration.

Human Trafficking

Mr Bone: To ask the Attorney-General when he expects the review by the Crown Prosecution Service of the laws on human trafficking to be published. [94075]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is not reviewing the laws on human trafficking. However, the CPS has been consulted about proposed amendments to human trafficking offences following a review of the legislation led by the Home Office. The proposed amended offences are included in the Protection of Freedoms Bill and should enable the UK to comply with the EU Directive on Human Trafficking. The amendments extend territorial jurisdiction and will make it easier for investigators and prosecutors to prosecute cases of trafficking where the trafficking of victims has taken place anywhere in the world, by a trafficker who is resident in the UK. The amendments will also improve our ability to prosecute those who have trafficked victims within the UK for forced labour and slavery.

Olympic Games 2012

Mr Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General how many invitations to attend events at the London 2012 Olympics (a) he, (b) other Ministers in the Law Officers’ Departments and (c) senior officials in the Law Officers’ Departments have accepted; and if he will make a statement. [93624]

The Solicitor-General: The Attorney-General has accepted one invitation for an Olympic rowing event which is being held in his constituency. I have not received or accepted any such invitations. No other invitations have been accepted by senior officials in our Departments.

Details of hospitality received by Ministers and the most senior officials are routinely published on a quarterly basis and records will be available for July to September 2012 in due course.

7 Feb 2012 : Column 194W

Prosecutions

Mr Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions were launched by the (a) Crown Prosecution Service and (b) Serious Fraud Office in each (i) of the last five years and (ii) month from April 2011; and if he will make a statement. [94214]

The Attorney-General: Between the period April 2006 and January 2012, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecuted 5,865,433 defendants.

The figures for each of the last five years and the latest 10 months are summarised in the following tables.

CPS prosecutions, 2006-11
  Number

2006-07

1,078,301

2007-08

1,064,194

2008-09

1,032,598

2009-10

982,732

2010-11

958,834

CPS prosecutions, April 2011 to January 2012
  Number

April 2011

64,860

May 2011

75,793

June 2011

79,383

July 2011

75,348

August 2011

78,623

September 2011

82,071

October 2011

72,574

November 2011

77,366

December 2011

66,371

January 2012

76,385

The statistics maintained by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) only relate to the results of trials and they do not currently keep historical statistics about the date prosecutions were launched. The following table indicates how many prosecutions were concluded in each of the last five years.

SFO, number of prosecutions concluded in the last five years
  Number

2007-08

7

2008-09

18

2009-10

13

2010-11

17

2011-12, year to date (31 January 2012)

15

The SFO does hold records of the number of people charged since April 2011 and these show that they have charged 18 individuals in relation to nine cases. The 18 charges are broken down by month charged in the following table.

SFO, number of individuals charged in each month since April 2011
  Number

April 2011

0

May 2011

7

June 2011

3

July 2011

1

August 2011

3

September 2011

1

7 Feb 2012 : Column 195W

October 2011

3

November 2011

0

December 2011

0

Public Order Offences: Prosecutions

Mr Hollobone: To ask the Attorney-General what recent discussions he has had with the Crown Prosecution Service in (a) England and (b) Northamptonshire on prosecution under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 for the offence of swearing at a police officer; and if he will make a statement. [R] [93985]

The Solicitor-General: The Law Officers' have not had any discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) about section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986.

Health

Recruitment

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on (a) recruitment services and (b) executive search agencies in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [93564]

Mr Simon Burns: The core Department of Health central procurement systems do not hold the information on recruitment services in the format requested because of how these data are recorded.

The following table provides information on the spend on temporary staff with the 17 commercial suppliers with whom the Department spends most for that category of spend (i.e. temporary staff) by month from May 2010. The Department may have incurred other expenditure on recruitment services that is classified elsewhere on the Department’s central procurement systems.

Table of spend for temporary staff with the top 17 recruitment agencies by spend between May 2010 and January 2012
  Monthly total (£)

2010

 

May

2,001,538.76

June

2,639,274.89

July

1,931,262.12

August

2,327,445.18

September

2,033,097.62

October

1,480,322.36

November

2,044,087.70

December

1,582,923.17

   

2011

 

January

1,311,559.40

February

1,579,916.28

March

1,960,542.45

April

1,437,106.25

May

1,010,926.82

June

1,235,936.37

July

1,289,161.92

7 Feb 2012 : Column 196W

August

1,206,933.15

September

1,032,594.29

October

1,219,308.50

November

913,736.34

December

1,205,943.49

   

2012

 

January

1,348,134.80

The core Department of Health central procurement systems do not hold the information on executive search agencies in the format requested because of how the data are recorded. The following table provides information on the spend for recruitment where executive search featured in the item description, the Department may have incurred other expenditure with executive search agencies that is classified elsewhere on the Department’s central procurement systems.

Table of spend for recruitment for items described as “executive search” provided by commercial and contractor suppliers between May 2010 and January 2012
  Monthly total (£)

2011

 

July

20,000.00

September

1,232.18

October

31,597.82

December

8,000

The following table sets out information on Connecting for Health (CfH) spend on recruitment services from May 2010 to January 2012. CfH procurement systems do not enable any distinctions to be made between recruitment services and executive search agencies.

  Monthly total (£)

2010

 

May

85,941.68

June

50,346.82

July

43,888.94

August

21,283.46

September

31,862.18

October

6,083.16

November

4,082.00

December

714.29

   

2011

 

January

February

336.00

March

58.80

April

May

June

July

14,022.19

August

26,539.37

September

17,513.32

October

7,016.63

November

6,903.33

December

7 Feb 2012 : Column 197W

Diabetes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many events on the parliamentary estate the National Clinical Director for Diabetes has attended since his appointment. [93800]

Paul Burstow: Between her appointment in April 2008 until 1 February 2012 the National Clinical Director for Diabetes, Dr Rowan Hillson, has attended 32 events on the parliamentary estate:

three in the House of Lords;

22 in the House of Commons;

six at Portcullis House; and

one in Westminster Hall.

Drugs: Safety

Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that imported unlicensed medicines contain directions for use in English; and over what timetable. [93396]

Mr Simon Burns: Importers of medicines that are unlicensed in the United Kingdom are legally required to notify the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in advance of the importation.

Notifications for importation of unlicensed medicines are assessed by the MHRA and objections may be raised where there are prohibitive safety or quality concerns, or in the case of non-objections to import, advice issued where users need to be aware of safety or quality issues.

There is currently no legal requirement for English language labelling of imported unlicensed products. However, the expectation in the national health service is that suitable English language labelling will be provided as a matter of good practice.

The MHRA is currently carrying out some further work on assessing the impact of possible proposals on the review of unlicensed medicines. We would hope to be able to provide more information on the timetable for progressing the review in the near future. The issue of labelling in English is an area that is being actively considered under the review, with a view to minimising risks to patient safety.

First Aid: Training

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to NHS trusts on the provision of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation courses for the public; what his policy is on charging for such courses; and if he will make a statement. [94109]

Mr Simon Burns: Working across all the relevant health care professions, the Resuscitation Council provides authoritative scientific advice on resuscitation and establishes appropriate guidelines for resuscitation procedures. These guidelines provide the basis of training courses in resuscitation for both lay people and the health care profession.

Voluntary sector organisations are doing valuable work in providing training in this area. For example, St John Ambulance, the Red Cross and the British Heart Foundation, through the Heartstart scheme, provide

7 Feb 2012 : Column 198W

free emergency life support training in the community and schools. Most ambulance trusts also provide training in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and it is for them to decide whether and how much to charge for this.

Hawkpoint Partners

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons he had dinner with Hawkpoint Partners on 30 June 2011. [94056]

Mr Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), meets with a wide range of organisations to discuss NHS modernisation. This was one such meeting.

Health

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what ways his Department monitors global health and its effect on health levels in the UK. [92435]

Anne Milton: The United Kingdom plays a key role in the World Health Organization (WHO). Through the international health regulations member states are required to notify the WHO secretariat and member states of outbreaks of infectious diseases and other health threats. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is the nominated focal point in the UK for notifying and receiving notifications about new outbreaks. The HPA engages in active disease surveillance within the UK and more widely through its own international networks, and is a WHO Collaborating Centre.

Through its membership of the Board of the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) and its Advisory Forum, the UK maintains strong links with partners in Europe. The ECDC has a key role in monitoring and assessing infectious diseases across Europe, and runs an Early Warning and Response System, for which the HPA is the UK contact point.

Health Education

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the Change4Life campaign will be funded in the future; and what current projects are being carried out as part of the campaign. [93765]

Anne Milton: Details of the planned funding model for Change4Life and current and planned projects are detailed within the Change4Life Three Year Social Marketing Strategy, published on 13 October 2011, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library.

Health Services: Children

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to update the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment framework to include the numbers of children in need in the core data set. [93776]

Paul Burstow: Health and well-being boards will be a forum for the national health service, local authorities and communities to exercise shared leadership in arriving at a joint understanding of local needs, including the needs of local children, and a shared strategy to address

7 Feb 2012 : Column 199W

those needs. The director of children's services will be a statutory member of the health and well-being board. As part of effective joint working, we would expect directors of children services to share data such as the number of children with children in need status, and other relevant information with the board, to ensure that the needs of local children are fully taken into account.

Statutory guidance issued by the Department for Education, “Working together to safeguard children”, states that Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs) should include the needs of children with children in need status, which will in turn inform the joint health and well-being strategy which drives local commissioning. The Department for Education will shortly be consulting on revisions to this guidance.

The JSNA core data set brings together a list of indicators which local partners may wish to draw on when performing JSNAs. The Government are developing statutory guidance and wider resources to support health and well-being boards in performing JSNA and developing joint health and well-being strategies within the modernised health and care system. As part of this work, we will explore with health and well-being board early implementers and other partners what further resources they would find supportive, including in relation to signposting to a wide range of helpful evidence sources.

Health: Screening

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget for the NHS health check programme was in 2011; and what its budget will be in 2012. [93766]

Mr Simon Burns: Funding for NHS health checks is included in the revenue allocations made to primary care trusts (PCTs) for the years 2010-11 to 2012-13. These allocations are not broken down by service or policy area. It is for PCTs to commission services to meet the health care needs of their local populations, taking account of local and national priorities.

Influenza: Vaccination

Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that the influenza vaccine should be compulsory for all public and private sector care workers. [94278]

Anne Milton: Although we would strongly encourage care workers to be vaccinated against flu to reduce the risk of them contracting the disease and passing it on to their patients, there are currently no plans to make flu vaccination compulsory. In the United Kingdom, immunisation is voluntary and is based on informed consent.

IVF: Regulation

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the likely financial savings to the public purse of the Care Quality Commission taking over IVF regulation; [93930]

(2) whether his Department has carried out an assessment of the effectiveness of the Care Quality Commission overseeing IVF regulation; [93931]

7 Feb 2012 : Column 200W

(3) what assessment he has made of the effect of the funding for the Care Quality Commission on its ability to oversee IVF regulation. [93932]

Mr Simon Burns: The Department plans to consult shortly on proposals to transfer functions, including in vitro fertilisation regulation, from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to other bodies. Alongside our proposals, we will publish a consultation impact assessment. These documents will set out our rationale for transferring functions from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, including what can be gained in relation to effectiveness and financial savings. We would ensure that in any subsequent transfer of functions, the organisation that took on functions would be funded appropriately.

Maternity Services: Bury

Mr Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of maternity services in the Bury North constituency. [94018]

Anne Milton: The provision of local health services, including maternity services, is a matter for local commissioners to determine, taking into account the health care needs of the local population.

The NHS in Greater Manchester continues to monitor the implementation of the Making it Better programme of changes to maternity and paediatric services, and is assured the service changes continue to meet the needs of the local population, including Bury, and the Secretary of State for Health's four tests for service change.

Mental Health Services: Out-of-Area Treatment

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what proportion of out-of-area treatments for mental health patients were categorised as due to no local capacity in each primary care trust area in 2010; [93400]

(2) what proportion of out-of-area treatments for mental health patients were in private facilities in each primary care trust area in 2010; [93401]

(3) how the cost of out-of-area treatments for mental health patients was calculated in each primary care trust area in 2010;[93402]

(4) what the cost was of out-of-area treatment for mental health patients in each primary care trust area in 2010; [93403]

(5) what proportion of patient admissions were out-of-area treatments for mental health patients in each primary care trust area in 2010. [93404]

Paul Burstow: This information is not held centrally. The Government's mental health strategy “No Health without Mental Health”, supported by best practice guidance, set out this Government's expectation that people should receive services locally as far as possible and commissioners should develop systems to enable this, working closely with service users with mental health problems, family carers and service providers.

We know that when patients receive treatment for long periods at a distance from home, this makes it difficult to maintain social networks and friendships. In

7 Feb 2012 : Column 201W

addition, there is research which demonstrates the poor value for money of out-of-area treatments (OATs). That is why one of the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention programmes for mental health commissioners is about improving quality and value through reducing inappropriate use of OATs.

Primary care trusts (PCTs) self-assess their spend on those mental health OATs which were outside of planned commissioning intentions, or not based on a sound clinical case for a placement. PCTs then analyse their unintended or inappropriate spend, benchmark with other comparable PCTs and devise a local action plan to address this.

Midwives: Recruitment

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress strategic health authorities have made in meeting targets for local midwife recruitment. [93659]

Anne Milton: There are no targets for local midwife recruitment.

Strategic health authorities have responsibility to plan, train and deliver a work force appropriate to the needs of their local population, based on clinical need and sound evidence.

We are sustaining the record number of midwives entering training this year. This will help mothers get the care they want. For 2010-11, there was a record 2,488 midwives entering training and in 2011-12, there are 2,507 places available.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (a) has not published any public health guidance since May 2011 and (b) is not scheduled to publish any such guidance until March 2012. [93658]

Mr Simon Burns: This is an issue for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as an independent body. NICE is responsible for the development of its methods and processes in consultation with stakeholders and, once a topic has been referred to NICE, for the development of guidance itself.

7 Feb 2012 : Column 202W

In 2010, Ministers removed or refocused some specific topics that had previously been referred to NICE's public health work programme and this is likely to have had an effect on NICE's current publication schedule.

NHS: Reconfiguration

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which service reconfigurations (1) were covered by the Department's moratorium on future and on-going reconfiguration proposals; and what the outcome was for each of these reconfigurations; [93660]

(2) have been approved since May 2010; and which of these reconfigurations involved changes to (a) accident and emergency and (b) maternity services. [93661]

Mr Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally. The reconfiguration of local health services including accident and emergency and maternity services is a local matter.

The Secretary of State for Health set out four key tests for service change in May 2010. The tests were set out in the revised Operating Framework for 2010-11, requiring existing and future reconfiguration proposals to demonstrate:

support from general practitioners commissioners;

strengthened public and patient engagement;

clarity on the clinical evidence base; and

consistency with current and prospective patient choice.

Processes to review schemes against the four tests were locally determined as schemes were at different points in their lifecycle. Strategic health authorities were then required to assess whether or not the tests were met and if schemes could proceed.

Organs: Donors

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were added to the organ donor register in each (a) county and (b) region in England in each of the last five years. [94226]

Anne Milton: The information is provided in the following table:

Number of registrations on the Organ Donor Register (ODR) in England, by county and strategic health authority region 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2011, by year
  Year of registration (1)
Area definition (2) 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

County:

         

Bedfordshire

8,809

9,249

9,097

9,908

9,258

Berkshire

13,824

13,585

13,625

14,069

14,229

Bristol.

8,328

9,038

8,041

7,969

7,597

Buckinghamshire

13^099

12,955

12,375

14,159

13,691

Cambridgeshire

16,767

17,656

16,863

17,851

17,245

Cheshire

16,528

19,537

17,289

18,745

17,297

Cornwall

9,490

10,244

10,022

10,167

9,305

Cumbria

7,990

8,284

8,202

9,162

8,133

Derbyshire

15,259

18,025

15,422

16,315

13,969

Devon

20,046

22,010

21,135

21,533

20,891

Dorset

13,293

13,930

14,845

14,425

14,452

7 Feb 2012 : Column 203W

7 Feb 2012 : Column 204W

Durham

13,652

15,669

13,404

14,656

12,593

East Riding of Yorkshire

8,464

8,880

9,445

9,797

8,440

East Sussex

14,420

13,796

14,675

16,777

13,343

Essex

27,857

29,418

29,209

30,982

30,875

Gloucestershire

15,356

16,525

16,318

16,953

16,260

Greater London

113,205

121,321

117,373

123,038

112,373

Greater Manchester

37,612

42,988

35,994

38,280

32,165

Hampshire

30,780

32,247

31,980

33,632

30,295

Herefordshire

3,016

3,254

3,050

3,152

3,116

Hertfordshire

19,459

20,174

20,153

21,587

20,689

Isle of Wight

2,418

2,459

2,283

2,461

2,340

Isles of Scilly

69

55

37

36

58

Kent

29,369

31,823

31,422

32,287

29,679

Lancashire

22,857

24,439

20,138

22,391

19,168

Leicestershire

14,498

16,728

14,034

15,633

12,172

Lincolnshire

15,026

15,925

16,218

17,308

15,705

Merseyside

19,162

21,911

19,594

22,629

18,591

Norfolk

14,537

15,480

15,573

16,066

14,978

North Yorkshire

18,085

21,087

19,862

21,283

19,011

Northamptonshire

11,544

12,084

11,942

12,932

11,492

Northumberland

5,182

5,856

5,637

6,137

5,367

Nottinghamshire

15,856

17,708

16,850

17,029

13,910

Oxfordshire

13,225

13,416

12,535

13,345

13,335

Rutland

649

720

736

864

667

Shropshire

7,036

7,866

7,124

8,049

7,564

Somerset

16,470

17,358

16,892

18,107

17,494

South Yorkshire

17,507

21,833

18,487

19,948

17,291

Staffordshire

15,604

18,644

15,330

16,527

15,080

Suffolk

11,539

12,466

12,591

12,938

12,861

Surrey

20,996

22,946

22,439

23,718

21,545

Tyne and Wear

17,234

20,169

17,458

18,865

15,943

Warwickshire

9,485

11,200

9,604

10,095

9,683

West Yorkshire

33,239

37,450

34,148

35,157

32,220

West Midlands

29,559

35,099

30,039

32,102

28,780

West Sussex.

14,322

15,173

14,961

16,119

13,160

Wiltshire

11,942

13,492

13,454

13,388

13,746

Worcestershire

10,135

11,612

10,038

10,858

10,622

Channel Islands

913

1,115

958

868

795

Isle of Man

550

593

444

510

316

Incomplete postcode(3)

314

455

418

417

294

           

England

826,576

905,947

849,763

901,224

820,083

           

Strategic health authority:

         

North East

40,893

47,360

41,613

45,040

38,419

North West

103,641

116,645

100,773

110,655

94,880

Yorkshire and Humber

77,290

88,839

82,129

86,480

77,587

East Midlands

68,159

76,069

70,106

74,737

62,925

West Midlands

74,858

87,764

75,186

80,697

74,748

East of England

98,716

104,144

103,279

109,133

105,756

London

113,413

121,614

117,589

123,298

112,618

South East Coast

79,113

83,729

83,435

88,817

77,688

South Central

73,750

75,079

73,155

78,067

74,254

South West

95,280

102,996

101,096

102,922

100,097

           

Channel Islands

913

1,115

958

868

795

Isle of Man

550

593

444

510

316

7 Feb 2012 : Column 205W

7 Feb 2012 : Column 206W

England

826,576

905,947

849,763

901,224

820,083

(1) This is based on registrants on the ODR as at 30 January 2012 and excludes people who registered in this time period and have subsequently died or been removed from the ODR. (2) Areas defined from the Office for National Statistics postcode datasets. (3) Not all postcodes are defined sufficiently to determine the correct county—county is not a field on the ODR and is dependent on the postcode. Source: NHS Blood and Transplant

Social Services

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish his Department's planned White Paper on adult social care. [94144]

Paul Burstow: We know that urgent reform of the care and support system is needed to provide people with more choice and control and to reduce the insecurity that they and their families face.

The Government are taking decisive steps so people can plan and prepare for their care needs, access high quality care when they need it, and exercise choice and control over the care they receive.

The care and support White Paper and progress report on funding reform, planned for spring 2012, will set out the Government's plans for transforming the care and support system.

It remains our intention to legislate as soon as possible afterwards.

Tranquillisers

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many companies hold licences for the manufacture or distribution of the Z drug tranquillisers (a) zopiclone, (b) zaleplon, (c) zolpidem and (d) eszopiclone; and how many of those licences were issued in the last three years. [93610]

Mr Simon Burns: There are currently 19 products authorised in the United Kingdom containing zopiclone and 10 different companies authorised to manufacture and distribute them. Two were authorised in the last three years.

There are currently two products authorised in the UK containing zaleplon and one company authorised to manufacture and distribute them. None has been authorised in the last three years.

There are currently 26 products authorised in the UK containing zolpidem and 14 different companies authorised to manufacture and distribute them. Nine have been authorised in the last three years.

There are no authorised products in the UK containing eszopiclone.

Cabinet Office

Childbirth: Greater Manchester

Mr Nuttall: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the birth rate was in (a) Bury North constituency and (b) Greater Manchester in the most recent period for which figures are available. [94019]

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 February 2012:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary question asking what the birth rate was in (a) Bury North constituency and (b) Greater Manchester in the latest period for which figures are available. 94019

The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has been supplied as this is the most useful measure of an area's fertility level. The TFR is the average number of live children that a group of women would each bear if they experienced the age-specific fertility rates of the calendar year in question throughout their childbearing lifespan.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR), selected areas, 2010
Area TFR

(a) Bury North Constituency

2.17

(b) Greater Manchester (Met County)

2.06

Recruitment

Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department has spent on (a) recruitment services and (b) executive search agencies in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [93567]

Mr Maude: The information is not held in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. A monthly breakdown of departmental expenditure over £25,000 can be found on data.gov.uk. Furthermore, details of all contracts with a value over £10,000 that have been awarded since 1 January 2011 are published on Contracts Finder.

Olympic Games 2012

Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many invitations to attend events at the London 2012 Olympics (a) he, (b) other Ministers in his Department and (c) senior officials in his Department have accepted; and if he will make a statement. [93630]

Mr Maude: Details of hospitality received by Ministers and the most senior officials are published on a quarterly basis.

Public Sector: Billing

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will bring forward legislative proposals to impose a statutory duty on public sector companies to pay invoices from private sector (a) suppliers and (b) contractors within 10 working days of their receipt; and if he will make a statement. [94013]

Mr Maude: The Government recognise that being paid promptly for work done is vital for suppliers to

7 Feb 2012 : Column 207W

enable them to manage their cash flow and reduce time wasted on chasing invoices. We are determined to do everything we can to help business manage cash flow and to transform the culture of late payment.

It is Government policy to pay 80% of undisputed invoices within five days and to pass 30-day payment terms down supply chains by including requirements for suppliers to do so in contracts. We expect our suppliers to follow our example on prompt payment and pay their sub-contractors within the 30-day limit.

In July last year I announced three specific actions our suppliers, Departments and SMEs themselves can take to help us achieve this goal.

First, our Crown Representative team are encouraging prime contractors to pay more quickly than the 30 days commitment on a voluntary basis.

Second, Departments are monitoring prime contractors' performance against the 30-day commitment to pay sub-contractors as part of the contract management process.

Third, we are encouraging SMEs to use the “Mystery Shopper” service to report to Government instances where this is not happening; and we will be publishing investigated cases on the Cabinet Office website.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Stella Creasy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what funding his Department (a) has allocated and (b) plans to allocate to the National Citizen Service programme in (i) London and (ii) England in each year from 2010 to 2015. [94222]

Mr Hurd: Details of funding allocated by the Cabinet Office to the National Citizen Service programme in England are published in the Quarterly Data Summary, available on

www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Justice

Cremation

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what recent discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with (i) representatives of the funeral profession and (ii) the National Funeral Directors Association on the disposal of cremation remains where funeral directors are unable to obtain instructions from next of kin or executors; [93922]

(2) how many times (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have met the National Funeral Directors Association since May 2010. [93923]

Mr Djanogly: As Minister responsible for cremation law and policy I met the all-party parliamentary group for funerals and bereavement and National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) on 6 December 2010 to discuss ashes retained by funeral directors. Following that meeting the NAFD agreed to develop non-statutory guidance for funeral directors who are unable to obtain instructions on how to dispose of ashes in their possession.

7 Feb 2012 : Column 208W

In a letter of 19 October 2011 to NAFD I confirmed that their draft guidance did not interfere with the provisions of the Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2008. I have not met again with the NAFD since December 2010; nor have I discussed this matter or met with any other members of the funeral profession since May 2010.

Departmental Billing

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of his Department’s invoices from its private sector suppliers were paid (a) within 14 days, (b) between 15 and 30 days, (c) between 31 and 60 days, (d) between 61 and 90 days and (e) more than 90 days after receipt in the last 12 months. [93450]

Mr Kenneth Clarke: During the last 12 months, the Ministry of Justice paid its private sector suppliers as detailed in the following table.

  Within 14 days 15-30 days 31-60 days 61-90 days Over 90 days

Number of invoices

514,197

23,725

17,125

6,507

6,367

Percentage

91

4

3

1

1

The Department publishes information on payment to suppliers on the MOJ internet site, accessible via the following link.

Payment performance :

http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/procurement-and-commercial/payment-performance.htm

Recruitment

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on (a) recruitment services and (b) executive search agencies in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [93559]

Mr Kenneth Clarke: Expenditure on “recruitment services” and “executive search agencies” is recorded differently across the various organisations within the Ministry of Justice. To arrive at a breakdown of monies paid for the provision of such services would require a manual examination of each invoice submitted by a recruitment agency. This would incur disproportionate cost and therefore we are unable to report an overall figure.

However, the Department’s policy is to handle all external recruitment activity in line with the Whitehall-wide controls established by the Cabinet Office in May 2010. After this time, the recruitment of staff resources through external agencies only occurs following the delegated approval of a suitably robust business case by the Secretary of State at director-general level.

Domestic Violence

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department has taken to support victims of domestic violence during the judicial process. [93148]

7 Feb 2012 : Column 209W

Mr Djanogly: The Government have encouraged the creation of specialist domestic violence courts systems (SDVCs) to enable agencies, such as the police, social services, prosecutors and independent domestic violence advisers (IDVAS), to work together to better share information and risk-assess cases to support victims of domestic violence. By the end of 2012-13 we will have contributed just over £9 million to this service, which helps to address the safety needs of high and very high risk victims and manage risks while they progress through the specialist domestic violence court process and beyond. We are also providing nearly £4.7 million over the next three years through our Victim and Witness General Fund to fund 44 court-based independent domestic violence adviser (IDVA) positions. Additionally, there are existing measures in courts to ensure that vulnerable witnesses, such as victims of domestic violence, are supported in court.

Family Courts

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent steps he has taken to improve the procedures of family courts. [93145]

Mr Djanogly: Procedures have been improved by the implementation of the new Family Procedure Rules in April 2011. This included: modernisation of language; removal of procedural differences between the three levels of court; and harmonisation to a large extent of the family rules within the Civil Procedure Rules. The rules, upon which there was full public consultation, provide for the first time a single unified code of practice for family proceedings in all tiers of court. They prescribe procedures that are easier to understand and use, not just for courts and practitioners, but also for parties.

The Government have accepted the recommendation made by the Family Justice Review to reduce the time taken in care and supervision cases by introducing a six-month time limit in which to complete cases. This will reduce uncertainty for the children and families and could lead to better outcomes for children if it improves the likelihood of finding a stable placement.

In addition, HMCTS has developed a programme of work to improve court administration processes. This work is based on Lean principles and will result in standardised family court processes which ensure that family cases are administered in the most efficient way possible. Process improvements have already been implemented in the administration of divorce cases and private law Children Act (contact and residence) cases. The programme of work is ongoing and will introduce further process improvements to the administration of adoption and placement cases, and public law Children Act (care and supervision) cases. HMCTS aims to deliver process improvements across all core family work throughout 2012, to assist in the timely and efficient progression of family cases.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department has taken to mitigate adverse effects on children arising from their participation in court proceedings. [93146]

Mr Djanogly: The Government response to the family justice review is clear that a key principle of our reforms is that children must be given the opportunity to have

7 Feb 2012 : Column 210W

their voices heard in the decisions that affect them. We will, therefore, work with the new Family Justice Board to establish how children can best be supported to make their views known, and taken into account, in their cases. At a national level, our plans to put in place a Young People's Board will give children the chance to influence and shape the wider reforms to the family justice system.

Children involved in family proceedings do not normally attend court. Children who are subject to an application for care or supervision proceedings by social services (public law) are entitled to separate representation by a Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (CAFCASS) children's guardian and a solicitor, and are made a party to proceedings. Children's guardians are there to help achieve the best possible outcomes for the child they represent.

In private law proceedings, the Government are keen to reduce the potential for conflict between separating parents and emphasise their respective responsibilities towards their children. A parent seeking to make a private law application to the court must first attend a mediation information assessment meeting (MIAM) designed to promote the use of mediation as an alternative to court, thereby avoiding exposure of the child to what may be an adversarial environment. The revised Private Law Programme Practice Direction, issued in April 2010, emphasises the need for the court to consider the perspective and involvement of the child at the First Dispute Resolution Hearing.

Family Law: Finance

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which services in the Family Justice Council funded in 2010-11 will not be funded in 2011-12. [93933]

Mr Djanogly: The Family Justice Council has not stopped any of its principal activities but has delivered efficiency savings in 2011-12 equating to 23% in non-staff running costs.

Legal Aid Scheme

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many decisions to award legal aid were reviewed by an independent panel in each of the last five years; and how many such reviews were successful. [90719]

Mr Djanogly: The data to respond to this question are currently being compiled and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as they are available.

Legal Services Commission

Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to the public purse was of reviewing decisions of the Legal Services Commission in each of the last five years. [90720]

Mr Djanogly: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

7 Feb 2012 : Column 211W

London Olympics 2012

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many invitations to attend events at the London 2012 Olympics (a) he, (b) other Ministers in his Department and (c) senior officials in his Department have accepted; and if he will make a statement. [93638]

Mr Kenneth Clarke: Neither I nor my ministerial team have accepted invitations to attend events at the London 2012 Olympics. The Ministry of Justice has policies for its officials regarding the acceptance of gifts and hospitality which state that gifts should only be accepted if they are modest and appropriate. Tickets to sporting events would not normally be considered acceptable. The most senior staff (Permanent Secretary and directors-general) in my Department have confirmed they have not accepted any invitations to Olympic events.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to reply to the letter of 24 November 2011 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms C. McCall. [92804]

Mr Kenneth Clarke: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to my response of 31 January 2012, Official Report, column 620W.

There was no record of this letter having been received. However, my office has now obtained a copy and the right hon. Member's letter has been transferred to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills as the responsible Department for the subject matter, for answer.

Offenders: Mental Illness

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the target time is for his Department to

7 Feb 2012 : Column 212W

approve the transfer of mentally ill offenders from prisons to alternative hospitals; and what the average time taken was in the latest period for which figures are available. [93382]

Mr Blunt: Recommendations for the transfer of prisoners who need treatment in hospital for a mental disorder are considered as a priority with an internal target of 24 hours from receipt of all information required by the Mental Health Act 1983 to the issue of the transfer direction. In the three months from 1 October 2011 to 31 December 2011 the average time taken for the Secretary of State for Justice to issue a transfer direction was 0.44 days.

Prisoners: Food

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost of each meal provided to a prisoner was in the latest period for which figures are available. [93391]

Mr Blunt: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) does not hold information on the actual cost of each prisoner meal. This could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

The responsibility for determining prisoner food budgets lies with the governor who will set aside a realistic sum to meet the dietary needs of their prisoner population. Meal requirements vary between establishments and are based on the prisoner population, local regimes and seasonal availability. The average daily cost(l) for food (including beverages) per prisoner per day in public sector prisons was £2.20 for the financial year ending 2010.

It is possible to estimate what the average daily cost per prisoner meal would be based on the understanding that breakfast, lunch and dinner account for approximately 20%, 40% and 40% of the daily food expenditure. But these percentages will vary from one establishment to another and are for illustrative purposes only—please see the following table.

Year ending 31 March Estimated total (1) (£ million) Per prisoner per meal (for illustration only) (£) Estimated average daily food expenditure per prisoner (1) (£)
    Breakfast Lunch Dinner  

2010

60

0.44

0.88

0.88

2.20

2009

62

0.46

0.92

0.92

2.31

2008

56

0.42

0.85

0.85

2.12

2007

51

0.39

0.79

0.79

1.97

2006

49

0.39

0.77

0.77

1.93

2005

43

0.36

0.73

0.73

1.87

2004

45

0.36

0.72

0.72

1.81

2003

42

0.34

0.69

0.69

1.72

2002

40

0.35

0.70

0.70

1.74

2001

34

0.33

0.66

0.66

1.64

2000

35

0.29

0.58

0.58

1.46

1999

35

0.29

0.58

0.58

1.44

1998

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

1997

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

(1) The data have been calculated using available management information from the NOMS finance systems and assume that all transactions have been allocated and recorded against the correct accounting codes.

7 Feb 2012 : Column 213W

Prisoners: Repatriation

Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convicted foreign nation offenders from EU member states have been returned to secure detention in their own countries since the introduction of the EU-wide prisoner transfer agreement in December 2011. [93464]

Mr Blunt: Council Framework Decision 2008/909/JHA (the EU Prisoner Transfer Agreement), which will govern the transfer of prisoners between member states of the European Union, entered into force on 5 December 2011.

At this time the United Kingdom, Austria, Luxembourg, Italy, Finland, Denmark, and Poland (voluntary transfers only) have implemented the Framework Decision and are ready to transfer prisoners. Our latest information indicates that the remaining member states will implement the Framework Decision in 2012-13 as their implementing legislation is enacted.

Prisoners can be transferred under this Framework Decision but in most cases a deportation order is necessary in order to effect the transfer. 17 prisoners from the five states listed above have been identified as eligible for transfer. Their cases have been referred to UKBA for consideration for deportation.

Prisons: Procurement

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on procuring products and services by each prison in 2010-11. [93494]

Mr Blunt: The Ministry of Justice Procurement Department provides a shared service procurement facility across the Ministry of Justice. Costs of procuring products and services are not therefore apportioned to prisons individually but to the Department as a whole.

Prisons: Psychiatry

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many clinical psychiatrists are working in prisons; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of that number. [93506]

Paul Burstow: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department of Health.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

National health service primary care trusts are responsible for commissioning health care in prisons and the NHS employs the majority of psychiatrists who work in prisons. Mental health care in prisons is provided by multi-professional teams using a number of different models according to the range of needs within the prison population. No national assessment has been made of the adequacy of the number of psychiatrists working in prisons.

Prisons: Security

Mr Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what process is used to obtain security clearance for pastoral visits to HM prisons; and how long that process is expected to take. [93489]

7 Feb 2012 : Column 214W

Mr Blunt: All people visiting or working in a prison establishment are subject to a risk assessment, which identifies the appropriate level of vetting. A nominated member of local clergy or a religious leader visiting a prisoner will be subject to screening which includes a criminal conviction check, requiring the completion of a vetting questionnaire. Depending on specific circumstances, once all parts of the form have been completed satisfactorily the vetting process will usually take approximately three weeks, although further checks may be required in the High Security Estate.

Probation: Procurement

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on procuring products and services by each probation service in 2010-11. [93495]

Mr Blunt: The National Offender Management Service does not capture costs to procure products and services for each Probation Trust. To obtain and collate the requested cost details from each Probation Trust would incur disproportionate costs.

Reoffenders

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to reduce the level of reoffending by people sentenced to community sentences. [93917]

Mr Blunt: The Government are already taking action on strengthening community sentences to seek to reform offenders for good. For example, through our work on the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, we are taking a number of steps to make community sentences more rehabilitative, such as increasing flexibility around the provision of drug and alcohol treatment.

We are also developing proposals to reform sentences in the community so that they command public confidence and effectively punish as well as reform offenders. This includes offenders undertaking unpaid work, up to a full working week, along with job seeking for unemployed offenders, to the benefit of the community. We will publically consult upon these proposals shortly.

In addition, the Government recently announced our plans to pioneer two pilots for community sentences which are part of our world-leading Payment by Results (PbR) programme. Staffordshire and West Midlands and Wales Probation Trusts have been selected to develop the pilots and will seek to build innovative partnerships with the private and voluntary sector to deliver frontline services across their communities for up to 2,000 offenders.

Trials

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many trials started late in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [93650]

Mr Djanogly: Table 1 provides the percentage of all listed trials that were recorded as ineffective for each month from May 2010 to September 2011, the latest date for which data are currently available, for the magistrates courts. Table 2 provides the same statistics for the Crown court for the same period.

7 Feb 2012 : Column 215W

An ineffective trial is recorded where, on the trial date, the trial does not go ahead due to action or inaction by one or more of the prosecution, the defence or the court and a further listing for trial is required.

Table 1: Magistrates courts
Number of ineffective trials, England and Wales, May 2010 to September 2011
    Ineffective trials
Month Total number of trials Number Percentage of total trials

2010

     

May

13,721

2,356

17

June

15,445

2,707

18

July

15,573

2,661

17

August

14,304

2,299

16

September

15,599

2,751

18

October

15,176

2,546

17

November

15,578

2,779

18

December

11,921

2,490

21

       

2011

     

January

15,247

2,753

18

February

13,572

2,219

16

March

15,365

2,567

17

April

12,198

2,032

17

May

13,893

2,513

18

June

14,549

2,656

18

July(1)

13,722

2,372

17

August(1)

13,581

2,464

18

September(1)

14,433

2,697

19

(1) Denotes provisional figures Source: Trials, HM Courts and Tribunals Service's One Performance Truth Database (OPT)
Table 2. The Crown court
Summary statistics on effectiveness of cases listed for trial, England and Wales, May 2010 to September 2011
    Ineffective trials
Quarter Number of listings for trial Number Percentage

2010

     

May

3,387

426

13

June

3,954

487

12

July

3,672

448

12

August

3,678

479

13

September

3,856

522

14

October

3,626

496

14

November

4,179

561

13

December

2,552

464

18

       

2011

     

January

3,934

520

13

February

3,513

480

14

March

4,061

553

14

April

2,657

418

16

May

3,674

549

15

June

3,675

541

15

July

3,446

529

15

August

3,532

499

14

September

3,510

495

14

Source: HM Courts and Tribunals Service CREST system