Probation

Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in the event of outsourcing of probation tasks, whether police and other criminal justice agencies will be given access to tagging and other related data kept by private companies who win probation contracts. [142561]

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice is consulting on proposals to reform the way in which offenders are rehabilitated in the community, including opening up rehabilitation services to a more diverse range of providers who will be paid by results to reduce reoffending.

Under our proposed reforms, providers of probation services will need to work in partnership with the police and other agencies to ensure local services are closely aligned. Prospective providers will have to evidence how they would sustain and develop local networks and partnerships such as existing Integrated Offender Management arrangements, and will be expected to contribute to local intelligence sharing as appropriate.

Under current arrangements electronic monitoring data are managed by the private companies running the contracts and necessary data exchanges occur between agreed agencies, subject to data sharing protocols. This approach will not change as a result of the proposed reforms.

We will announce further details of our proposals once we have considered the responses to the consultation, which closes on 22 February 2013.

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what incentives he will put in place for probation trusts to merge prior to the tendering-out of probation work. [142580]

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice is consulting on proposals to reform the way in which offenders are rehabilitated in the community, including competitions for the majority of rehabilitative and punitive services in the community.

14 Feb 2013 : Column 873W

We propose that the public sector will be reorganised in the most efficient manner to deliver its new responsibilities. This is likely to require fewer trusts or a different structure (such as a single national probation trust or direct delivery on behalf of the Secretary of State). Our consultation paper invites views on what kind of delivery structure would be most appropriate for the public sector probation service.

While we will need to contract with entities capable of bearing the financial and operational risks associated with offender services in the community and the introduction of payment by results, it will also be open to those currently in the public sector to design prospective mutuals or develop appropriate partnerships with other organisations to bid to win contracts for competed services. The Cabinet Office (working with Ministry of Justice) will support leaders and staff in probation trusts to explore options and feasibility in advance of any competitions. The Cabinet Office is designing a package of support for those who wish to explore this option, including access to the Cabinet Office's £10 million Mutuals Support Programme.

The consultation closes on 22 February 2013 and we will announce further details of our proposals once we have considered responses.

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether, in the event of implementation of his proposals for outsourcing of probation tasks, the public-sector probation service will be organised on a local, regional or national level. [142581]

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice has recently published the consultation paper ‘Transforming Rehabilitation—a revolution in the way we manage offenders’, which set out our plans for reforming the way in which offenders are rehabilitated in the community.

In that consultation paper, we propose that the public sector will be reorganised in the most efficient manner to deliver its responsibilities. This will require fewer trusts or a different structure (such as a single national probation trust or direct delivery on behalf of the Secretary of State). Our consultation paper invites views on what kind of delivery structure would be most appropriate for the public sector probation service.

The consultation closes on 22 February 2013 and we will set out further details of our proposals once we have considered responses.

Property Law

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) whether he has examined ways to reduce costs within boundary disputes involving real property; and if he will make a statement; [142716]

(2) what the Government's policy is on the resolution of disputes involving the boundaries of real property under different ownerships; [142717]

(3) whether he has considered potential reforms to ending boundary disputes; and if he will make a statement; [142718]

(4) what progress he has made on developing a strategy for cost effectively disposing of boundary disputes concerning real property; and if he will make a statement; [142930]

14 Feb 2013 : Column 874W

(5) what plans he has to publish a timetable on developing legislative proposals to reform how boundary disputes concerning real property are resolved; and if he will make a statement. [142965]

Mrs Grant: The Ministry of Justice will be carrying out an initial scoping study this year into the problems affecting boundary dispute resolution with a view to identifying possible solutions. Ministers will then consider the options.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many regulations his Department has repealed in the last six months; and what has been the anticipated cost savings of each such repeal. [141835]

Mrs Grant: The Ministry of Justice has laid no statutory instruments that repealed regulation which have regulatory impact in the last six months.

Roads: Accidents

Mr Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the operation of the criminal justice system to protect road users; and if he will make a statement. [123649]

Jeremy Wright: Parliament is responsible for ensuring that adequate offences and maximum penalties are available to the courts and we do keep this under review, for example, recently introducing a new offence of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 which will carry a five year maximum prison sentence.

It is for the courts to decide on the appropriate sentence for an offender and in doing so they will take into account all details of the offence, including any aggravating or mitigating circumstances and sentencing guidelines. Sentencing guidelines are produced by the independent Sentencing Council.

Sentencing

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average reduction in sentence is for a defendant who enters a guilty plea. [142952]

Jeremy Wright: MOJ sentencing statistics do not record the average reduction in sentence for defendants who enter a guilty plea or the relationship between the timing of the plea and the magnitude of the resulting reduction.

Sexual Offences: East of England

Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of convictions for (a) rape and (b) other sexual offences in (i) Suffolk, (ii) Bedfordshire, (iii) Cambridgeshire, (iv) Essex, (v) Hertfordshire, (vi) Norfolk and (vii) England resulted in custodial sentences in each of the last three years. [130323]

14 Feb 2013 : Column 875W

Jeremy Wright: Defendants found guilty and sentenced at all courts and the proportion for rape and other

14 Feb 2013 : Column 876W

sexual offences, by police force area in England from 2009 to 2011 can be viewed in the tables.

Defendants found guilty and sentenced at all courts for rape(1) and other sexual offences(2), by police force area, England, 2009 to 2011(3, 4, 5)
 20092010
 Found guiltyImmediate custodySentencedPercentage custodyFound guiltyImmediate custodySentencedPercentage custody

Suffolk

        

Rape

7

6

7

86

10

9

10

90

Other sexual offences

57

27

56

48

62

27

63

43

         

Bedfordshire

        

Rape

8

8

8

100

13

11

13

85

Other sexual offences

29

12

31

39

29

17

30

57

         

Cambridgeshire

        

Rape

17

16

17

94

16

12

16

75

Other sexual offences

78

33

81

41

72

40

72

56

         

Essex

        

Rape

19

19

19

100

26

24

26

92

Other sexual offences

66

32

67

48

82

46

83

55

         

Hertfordshire

        

Rape

10

8

10

80

10

10

10

100

Other sexual offences

54

18

52

35

64

29

64

45

         

Norfolk

        

Rape

16

15

16

94

7

6

7

86

Other sexual offences

66

36

66

55

75

39

75

52

         

England

        

Rape

869

819

871

94

922

860

922

93

Other sexual offences

3,550

1,785

3,537

50

4,084

1,972

4,068

48

 2011
 Found guiltyImmediate custodySentencedPercentage custody

Suffolk

    

Rape

14

14

14

100

Other sexual offences

49

25

49

51

     

Bedfordshire

    

Rape

5

5

5

100

Other sexual offences

39

17

39

44

     

Cambridgeshire

    

Rape

13

13

13

100

Other sexual offences

70

35

68

51

     

Essex

    

Rape

27

26

27

96

Other sexual offences

92

42

90

47

     

Hertfordshire

    

Rape

10

10

10

100

Other sexual offences

65

24

65

37

     

Norfolk

    

Rape

16

16

16

100

Other sexual offences

74

39

73

53

     

14 Feb 2013 : Column 877W

14 Feb 2013 : Column 878W

England

    

Rape

1,019

970

1,019

95

Other sexual offences

4,195

2,033

4,181

49

(1 )Rape includes: Sexual Offences Act 2003, s1 and s5 (2 )Other sexual offences includes: Sexual Offences Act 2003, s6, s3, s7, s8, s9, s10, s11, s12, ss9, ss10, ss12, s4, ss11, s25, s26, s64, s65, s26, s52, s53, s33a, s30, s31, s32, s33, s34, s35, s36, s37, s38, s39, s40, s41, s14, s47, s48, s49, s50, s57, s58, s59, s16, s17, s15, s19, s18, s69, s61, s62, s63, s66, s67. Sexual Offences Act 1956, s70, s12, s16 Indecency with Children Act 1960, s1 (3 )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. (4 )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. (5 )The number of offenders sentenced can differ from those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty in a particular year, and committed for sentence at the Crown court, may be sentenced in the following year. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Trafford Housing Trust

Mr Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has held on the effect of the recent legal case between Mr Adrian Smith and Trafford Housing Trust on his Department's policies on freedom of speech for staff. [134936]

Chris Grayling: I apologise for the delay in responding. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the House returns.

Young Offender Institutions

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which institutions of the secure youth estate (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have visited since May 2010; and on what date each such visit took place. [135280]

Jeremy Wright: The following table provides details of visits to institutions of the secure youth estate by Ministry of Justice Ministers since May 2010.

MinisterDateInstitution

Crispin Blunt

10 June 2010

Feltham Young Offenders Institute

Crispin Blunt

25 June 2010

Medway Secure Training Centre

Crispin Blunt

3 August 2010

Vinney Green Secure Children’s Home

Crispin Blunt

3 August 2010

Ashfield Young Offenders Institute

Lord McNally

30 September 2010

Medway Secure Training Centre

Crispin Blunt

4 November 2010

Parc Young Offenders Institute

Nick Herbert

18 November 2010

Feltham Young Offenders Institute

Crispin Blunt

27 January 2011

Portland Young Offenders Institute

Crispin Blunt

11 May 2011

New Hall Young Offenders Institute

Crispin Blunt

4 August 2011

Lancaster Young Offenders Institute

Ken Clarke

14 October 2011

Clayfields House Secure Children’s Home

Crispin Blunt

1 December 2011

Eastwood Park Young Offenders Institute

Jeremy Wright

5 November 2012

Cookham Wood Young Offenders Institute

Jeremy Wright

5 November 2012

Medway Secure Training Centre

Chris Grayling

20 November 2012

Cookham Wood Young Offenders Institute

Chris Grayling

20 November 2012

Medway Secure Training Centre

Women and Equalities

Violence against Women

9. Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what steps she is taking to support the One Billion Rising campaign to end violence against women and girls; and if she will make a statement. [143145]

Mr Jeremy Browne: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Department.

We are supportive of the aims of the One Billion Rising campaign which calls for an end to violence, and for justice and gender equality. These underpin the Government's approach set out in the Call to End Violence Against Women and Girls and supporting action plan.

Nic Dakin: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what assessment she has made of the cumulative effects of Government policies on efforts to tackle violence against women. [143138]

Mr Jeremy Browne: I have been asked to a reply on behalf of the Home Department.

Our cross-Government strategy recognises the need to take a joined-up approach to ending violence against women and girls. We monitor progress through regular inter-ministerial meetings including inviting representations from the women's specialist sector. We are currently refreshing our Action Plan and aim to link this to our recognition of International Women's Day.

14 Feb 2013 : Column 879W

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Biofuels

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will review the evidence on the effects on air quality as a result of the emissions from the combustion of biomass following the World Health Organisation's (a) advice to the EU to lower its limit values on particulate fractions, PM2.5 and PM10 and (b) advice to member states published on 31 January 2013 to prioritise reducing emissions from solid and liquid fuels, including biomass. [142658]

Richard Benyon: The review by the World Health Organisation on the evidence relating to the effects of particulate matter fractions on health is welcomed and we look forward to reviewing the findings of the study when the final report is published. However, as the review relates to the effects of air pollutants on health, we do not expect it to comment on the effect of biomass combustion on air quality.

DEFRA publishes annual assessments of the effect of current emission sources on concentrations of air pollutants. These can be viewed on the Department's UK-AIR webpages at:

http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/annualreport/index

We also work closely with the Department of Energy and Climate Change to assess the air quality impacts of policy proposals that affect combustion of biomass.

Circuses: Animal Welfare

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to publish the draft Bill to ban wild animals in circus performances. [142598]

Mr Heath: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Sunderland Central (Julie Elliott) on 11 December 2012, Official Report, column 255W.

Circuses: Licensing

Mr Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if he will publish details of (a) all licensing inspections carried out in travelling circuses, (b) the licences granted and the licence conditions, (c) all licensed travelling circuses using wild animals, (d) all licensed animals within such circuses and (e) the tour schedules of each such circus; and if he will make a statement; [141844]

(2) which travelling circuses wishing to use wild animals have been inspected under the new licensing regulations to date; and if he will make a statement; [141845]

(3) how many licensing applications he has received from travelling circuses wishing to use wild animals in their act to date; how many animals of which species were listed in each such application; and if he will make a statement. [141846]

Mr Heath: The licensing conditions which apply to all licences are set out in the schedule of the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012.

14 Feb 2013 : Column 880W

To date, two applications for a licence have been received by DEFRA. One inspection has taken place and a date for the other inspection has been booked. No licences have been issued so far.

Information about the number and species of animals submitted with applications received to date is summarised in the following table.

 Circus MondaoJolly's Circus

Ankole

1

Camel

2

1

Fox

1

Raccoon

1

Reindeer

2

4

Snakes

6

Zebra

2

1

Tour dates are regularly posted on travelling circuses' websites.

Common Fisheries Policy

Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the decision taken by the European Parliament on 5 February 2013 to approve the proposals for the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, what assessment he has made of the timetable for negotiations between the European Parliament, EU Council of Ministers and the EU Commission to complete the reform package; what the contribution of the UK to that process will be; and if he will make a statement. [143201]

Richard Benyon: The European Parliament took a crucial step towards reform of the failed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), with a vote on a wide range of important reforms. I am pleased that the European Parliament voted in favour of measures to eliminate discards and fish sustainably.

That vote was not the end of the process and there is still more work to be done over the coming months, as the reforms will be co-decided by the Council of Fisheries Ministers and the European Parliament. The Irish presidency has stated its objective to secure political agreement on the dossier by the end of June 2013. While ambitious, I support this goal, and will continue to work with my fellow Fisheries Ministers and Members of the European Parliament to ensure that the new CFP will help deliver a prosperous fishing industry and healthy fish stocks.

Departmental Responsibilities

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's core statutory obligations are; and what estimate he has of the annual cost of delivering each such obligation. [142760]

Richard Benyon: The overall annual public expenditure resulting from obligations under the Department's regulations (including costs to regulators and other public agencies) was estimated at around £0.2 billion (2011 prices) in the report “The Costs and Benefits of DEFRA's Regulatory Stock: Emerging Findings from DEFRA's Regulatory Stock Assessment” in August 2011.

14 Feb 2013 : Column 881W

This report is available at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb13623-costs-benefits-defra-regulatory-stock110816.pdf

Fisheries: Protection

Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the value is of any contract his Department holds with the Ministry of Defence to provide fishing protection; and when any such contract is up for renewal. [142483]

Richard Benyon: The Department does not hold any contract for fisheries protection. This falls within the responsibility of the Marine Management Organisation.

The annual value of the Marine Management Organisation's agreement with the Ministry of Defence is £7 million per annum. This agreement expires on 31 March 2013.

A revised agreement covering 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2016 is nearing completion.

Fisheries: Quotas

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he will take steps to reallocate the unused fishing quota from producer organisations to fishermen using vessels of under 10 metres. [143392]

Richard Benyon: To maximise the benefit from the UK's annual quota allocation in 2012, DEFRA allocated quota for eight stocks, which had been consistently unused by English Producer Organisations between 2007 and 2010, to the under 10 metre pool. This reallocation exercise will be repeated this year. The UK Association of Fish Producer Organisations (UKAFPO) has been granted permission to seek judicial review of the reallocation with the hearing due to take place this May.

Ivory

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will raise the use of smartwater technology to improve the (a) traceability of ivory and (b) conviction rates of those trading in illegal ivory at the next meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. [143074]

Richard Benyon: The UK has no specific plans to raise the forensic marking of ivory during discussions at the 16th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species next month. Elephant conservation and tackling illegal ivory trade are a priority for the UK at that meeting. We will look to support measures that improve enforcement and combat illegal trade more effectively.

Livestock: Transport

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of animals which have died during transport in the last year. [143102]

14 Feb 2013 : Column 882W

Mr Heath: There are no comprehensive figures available on the number of deaths of animals in transport. However, in relation to the trade in live animals currently being exported through Ramsgate port, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency records show that during 2012 (up to the end of October) its inspectors identified 45 animals that were not fit to continue with their journey and required them to be euthanized. This represents 0.1% of the total number of animals (36,850) exported through the port over the same period.

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps to prevent animals exported from the UK being slaughtered in ways that are illegal in the UK. [143103]

Mr Heath: We have no plans to take steps to prevent animals exported from the UK being slaughtered in ways that are illegal in the UK. EU Regulation 1099/2009 on the Protection of Animals at the Time of Killing came into effect on 1 January 2013. This regulation is directly applicable in every member state and sets minimum welfare standards that apply to the slaughter of all animals. This regulation also applies to animals slaughtered outside the EU where the meat is imported into the EU from the third country involved.

Regulation 1099/2009 does allow individual member states to apply national rules to maintain welfare standards that were in place when the regulation was agreed in 2009 and which provide more extensive welfare protection than the regulation. In addition, member states can introduce national rules in relation to slaughter that takes place outside a slaughterhouse, slaughter in accordance with religious rites and the slaughter of farmed game. However, a member state cannot require the application of these national rules in relation to meat arising from animals slaughtered in another member state.

Pesticides

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the European Food Safety Authority's advice on neonicotinoids; and if he will make a statement. [143512]

Mr Heath: Since concerns were first raised on this important issue, DEFRA has been clear that we will act in accordance with the evidence. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reports published on 16 January consider the risks to bees from these insecticides and conclude that more data are needed to update the current risk assessments. As the EFSA made clear in the reports, these assessments used existing data against new regulatory requirements which have yet to be finalised. As would normally be expected, the EFSA found that new data requirements were not met by data produced earlier. The reports do not state that these insecticides pose an unacceptable danger to bees, although this impression is given by the accompanying EFSA Press Release. It is also worth emphasising that the EFSA conclusions are not new scientific information but report a stage in the process of updating the developing new risk assessment and applying it to these three active substances.

The Government have taken research on effects to bees seriously and we have not assumed that the existing controls are sufficient. The European Commission has

14 Feb 2013 : Column 883W

now indicated that it will propose measures on the three neonicotinoids reviewed by the EFSA and it has held an initial discussion with member states. Our approach to any Commission proposal will continue to be founded in a proportionate response to the science and so we will seek clarity as to what the Commission is proposing, the basis for this and the likely impacts. Our response will take account of advice from the Advisory Committee on Pesticides, which considered the latest evidence on the risks to bees from neonicotinoid insecticides at its meeting on 29 January. It also received the EFSA conclusions.

Slaughterhouses: CCTV

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to make an announcement on the outcome of the consultation into the mandatory introduction of CCTV in slaughterhouses; and if he will make a statement. [142889]

Mr Heath: The Government's consultation on measures to implement EU Regulation 1099/2009 on the Protection of Animals at the Time of Killing closed on 24 October 2012. This consultation also sought comments on the proposal not to require compulsory installation of CCTV in slaughterhouses. The Government are currently considering the responses received. Once this process has been completed, a response will be published on the DEFRA website.

Staff

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff were employed by his Department in each of the last five years; and at what grade or pay band such staff were appointed. [142784]

Richard Benyon: Following are the number of core DEFRA staff in post on 31 March in each of the last five years, broken down by their grade when they joined the Department. All figures are in full-time equivalents.

31 March 2008
GradeOn entryAs at 31 March 2008

SCS

74.95

148.73

Grade 6

54.64

141.59

Grade 7

233.99

484.31

SEO

186.00

351.14

HEO

450.09

737.53

EO

584.08

480.61

AO

517.16

455.35

AA

631.22

68.80

Unknown

135.93

0.00

Total

2,868.06

2,868.06

14 Feb 2013 : Column 884W

31 March 2009
GradeOn entryAs at 31 March 2009

SCS

59.19

132.43

Grade 6

42.65

124.08

Grade 7

243.89

470.39

SEO

150.22

301.65

HEO

396.93

638.73

EO

521.95

416.19

AO

477.82

406.44

AA

587.93

55.17

Unknown

64.50

0.00

Total

2,545.08

2,545.08

31 March 2010
GradeOn entryAs at 31 March 2010

SCS

61.70

141.50

Grade 6

44.75

115.94

Grade 7

274.35

491.68

SEO

168.93

296.27

HEO

465.42

642.81

EO

469.70

421.04

AO

497.50

366.93

AA

524.37

38.55

Unknown

8.00

0.00

Total

2,514.72

2,514.72

31 March 2011
GradeOn entryAs at 31 March 2011

SCS

57.46

127.98

Grade 6

45.85

119.83

Grade 7

261.72

485.03

SEO

175.13

325.19

HEO

461.92

623.77

EO

455.51

414,40

AO

464.87

327.89

AA

522.82

28.19

Unknown

7.00

0.00

Total

2,452.28

2,452.28

31 March 2012
GradeOn entryAs at 31 March 2012

SCS

41.80

98.98

Grade 6

40.43

84.03

Grade 7

182.05

381.62

SEO

166.62

310.16

HEO

425.90

558.90

EO

389.37

340.95

AO

399.02

285.82

AA

438.39

24.12

Unknown

1.00

0.00

Total

2,084.58

2,084.58