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Written Answers
Thursday, 28th January 1999.
Police Complaints Authority
Lord Burlison asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they intend to make further appointments to the Police Complaints Authority.[HL794]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn): We have recently appointed Mrs. Molly Meacher to the position of deputy chairman of the authority, following the retirement of Mr. John Cartwright.
Mrs. Meacher has served as a member of the authority since 1994, and her previous posts include that of Adviser to the Chairman of the Russian Federal Employment Service; Mental Health Act Commissioner; Health Trust non-executive director; and Director of Action Trust (now the Employment Policy Institute). Her appointment is for three years with effect from 1 February 1999.
Secure Training Centres
Lord Acton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- (a) what are the names of the contractors for the planned secure training centre at Gringley in Nottinghamshire and Medomsley in Durham;
(b) when they signed those contracts; and
(c) when these secure training centres are due to open; and[HL622]
Whether they have selected sites for any secure training centres in addition to Medway, Gringley and Medomsley; and, if so, whether they have signed any contracts for such further secure training centres.[HL623]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Five secure training centres are planned to cover England and Wales. Medway Secure Training Centre opened on 17 April 1998.
The next secure training centre (STC) to open will be at Onley in Northamptonshire and will be known as Rainsbrook STC. The contract for this centre was signed with Rebound ECD Ltd, a subsidiary of Group 4, on 3 July 1998. It is due to open in May 1999.
The third centre at Medomsley, County Durham, to be known as Hassockfield secure training centre, is due to open in September 1999. The contract for this centre was signed with Medomsley Training Services Ltd, a subsidiary of Premier Prisons, on 12 November 1998.
Planning permission is being sought on two other sites, Sharpness in the Southwest and Ranby in Nottinghamshire. The Prison Service site at Ranby in Nottinghamshire has replaced Gringley as the preferred site for this area and we are seeking planning permission for residential use for Gringley.
Lord Acton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many residential units and how many bedrooms in each unit there are, or are planned to be, in the secure training centres at Medway, Gringley and Medomsley respectively.[HL624]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Three contracts have so far been signed for secure training centres: Medway in Kent, Onley in Northamptonshire and Medomsley in County Durham. The prison site at Ranby in Nottinghamshire has replaced Gringley as the preferred site for this region, subject to planning consent.
The contract for each secure training centre requires a maximum of 40 trainees to be accommodated and for each trainee to have their own bedroom. Medway Secure Training Centre has eight self-contained house units, with five bedrooms in each unit. The secure training centre at Onley (to be known as Rainsbrook) is similarly designed. The secure training centre at Medomsley (to be known as Hassockfield) will comprise six separate house units each with seven bedrooms.
Medway Secure Training Centre
Lord Acton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Williams of Mostyn on 5 October 1998 (WA 80):
(a) between what dates were each of the three female trainees in the Medway Secure Training Centre;
(b) what was the length of the secure training order for each of the three female trainees;
(c) whether, during the period that any of the three female trainees were at the Medway Secure Training Centre, their bedrooms were in a separate unit from those of the male trainees; and
(d) whether there have been any female trainees at the Medway Secure Training Centre subsequently; and, if so, for what periods.[HL625]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Female trainees were at Medway Secure Training Centre between the following dates:
There have been no female trainees in Medway subsequently.
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: I understand from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) that the working group set up to finalise the detailed user requirement for this database met on 14 October and 21 January. It is due to meet again on 22 February and expects to submit the requirement to the ACPO Police National Computer Steering Committee by the end of March.
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The ring-fenced funds referred to at col. 173 of Hansard cover piloting of drug treatment and testing orders in three areas from late 1998 to the end of the financial year 1999-2000 and (subject to successful evaluation) roll-out in 2000-01 and 2001-02.
The funds will be made available to probation services to spend on drug treatment and testing orders in the ways that, subject to Home Office guidance, they judge most effective. We do not envisage that services will need to set up their own treatment centres but it may be that, as a result of the expansion of the market for drug treatment services that this new money will induce, previously unviable but effective treatment centres may be able to reopen.
Lord Rowallan asked Her Majesty's Government:
(i) 4 April 1998 to 4 June 1998; this trainee was sentenced to a six-month secure training order custodial part of her sentence;
(ii) 6 May 1998 to 17 August 1998; this trainee was sentenced to an eight-month secure training order but was released on appeal before the end of the custodial part of her sentence; and
(iii) 16 June 1998 to 13 September 1998; this trainee was sentenced to a six-month secure training order but her time in custody was reduced by time she had spent on remand prior to sentencing.
The female trainees' rooms were all physically separate from those of male trainees but they were not
in a separate unit. At all times including at night, female trainees are supervised by a female member of staff.
On what dates the working group set up by the Association of Chief Police Officers to finalise the detailed user requirement for the database needed to fulfil the statutory obligation to establish a central register of firearm and shot gun certificates has met; what further meetings are planned; and whether they can give a date by which this user requirement is expected to be drawn up.[HL649]
Further to the reply by the Lord Williams of Mostyn on 12 January (H.L. Deb., col. 173), how many new drug treatment and training centres they expect to provide as a result of the ring-fenced funds and over what period of time; and whether voluntary and private treatment homes, which had to close last year, will be enabled to reopen.[HL641]
Whether they intend to introduce "preventative detention" for people who pose a danger to themselves or the community at large; and, if so, when; and[HL611]
28 Jan 1999 : Column WA164
Whether they intend to introduce variable and reviewable sentencing for paedophiles who potentially pose a danger to the community at large.[HL612]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Government's strategy Modernising Mental Health Services, which was published on 8 December 1998, explains that the Government are considering proposals to create "a new form of reviewable detention for those people with a severe personality disorder who are considered to pose a grave risk to the public". The Government intend to make a further separate announcement on this issue shortly.
Criminal Records
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What facilities now exist for an individual to be given a certificate that he has no criminal records; and what charge is made by the Criminal Records Bureau for such a certificate.[HL648]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: At present, the only way individuals can find out what is on their own criminal record is to exercise their right of subject access under Section 21 of the Data Protection Act 1984. Each application to the police service costs £10.
A Criminal Records Bureau is to be set up to issue the three types of criminal record certificate set out in Part V of the Police Act 1997. Once established, it will be self-financing through charging for each certificate to be issued as provided for under the 1997 Act. All applicants for certificates will be required to pay a fee which, depending on the level of certificate sought, we estimate will cost between £5 and £10.
Persistent Young Offenders: Time between Arrest and Sentencing
Lord Windlesham asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What progress has been made to implement the 1997 Labour Party election manifesto pledge to halve the time between the arrest and sentencing of persistent young offenders; and when it is forecast that the pledge will be redeemed.[HL608]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: In 1996, the average time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders was 142 days. We are committed to halving that time by March 2002. We took early action on coming to office to achieve this target. There are now over 150 youth courts operating fast tracking schemes, nearly half of all the youth courts in England and Wales. Provisions in the Crime and Disorder Act were brought into force on 30 September last year to enable the courts to manage cases more quickly and efficiently. Other measures are currently being piloted with national
implementation planned for October this year. The Government have also set demanding performance targets for all stages of proceedings up to and after trial and for all youth justice agencies.
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