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Written Answers
Wednesday, 28th November 2001.
European Arrest Warrant
Lord Glentoran asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they share the view of the Justice Minister of the Republic that Xwe are moving inexorably towards a European Union Arrest Warrant" and, if so, what protection in United Kingdom courts a British citizen would have against the execution of such a warrant.[HL886]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Rooker): The framework decision on a European arrest warrant has not yet been agreed, but the Government support the proposals for a European arrest warrant and are working to achieve political agreement at the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council on 6-7 December in Brussels, as announced at the Extraordinary JHA Council on 20 September 2001.
The framework decision is intended to create a system enabling faster procedures for the surrender of a fugitive as between EU member states. Protection for the individual is provided in the domestic incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights into the requesting state's criminal justice system, rather than before the courts in the United Kingdom. This is the principle of mutual recognition, on the basis of which we would similarly expect our European Union partners to return those whom we want to bring before our courts to stand trial.
The framework decision as currently drafted provides for non-execution of a European arrest warrant where its subject has already been acquitted or convicted of the same offence or in relation to an offence committed below the age of criminal responsibility in the member state from where surrender is sought.
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the question asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 19 November (HL Deb, col. 979), whether the United Kingdom is still able to refuse to participate in the framework decision on the proposed European Union arrest warrant; and, if so, under what clauses in the European treaties could it do so.[HL1519]
Lord Rooker: The legal basis for the framework decision on the European arrest warrant is the Treaty on European Union, Articles 31(a) and (b) and 34 (2) (b). Article 34 (2) requires that member states must act unanimously in the adoption of a framework decision. The Government support the proposals for a European arrest warrant and are working to achieve political agreement at the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council on 6-7 December in Brussels, as announced at the Extraordinary JHA Council on 20 September 2001.
Machine-readable Passports
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which countries currently issue machine-readable passports; and which European Union countries currently record electronically the arrival of non-European Union passport holders from non-European Union points of origin.[HL1209]
Lord Rooker : According to information supplied to the Immigration Service by the security printing industry, the following 100 countries are believed to issue machine-readable passports: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, China, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Estonia, El Salvador, France, Finland, Fiji, Gambia, Germany, Greece, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Hong Kong SAR, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Lesotho, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mali, Mauritius, Malawi, Moldova, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Nigeria, Namibia, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Panama, Palestinian Authority, Poland, Portugal, Peru, Qatar, Romania, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Tanzania, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uganda, United Kingdom, Ukraine, United States, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Information concerning which European Union countries record electronically the arrival of non-European Union passport holders from non-European Union points of origin is not currently available. While the United Kingdom does not record arrivals electronically, the United Kingdom Immigration Services does use readers to check the details of those passengers holding machine-readable passports against its warnings index database and it is believed that a number of other European Union countries do likewise.
Offenders: Work-experience
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are making provision for work-experience for previously unemployed convicted offenders and for those leaving penal institutions without jobs to go to:
(a) in the public sector; and
(b) in the private sector;
and, if so, how.[HL1225]
Lord Rooker: The Prison Service and National Probation Service (NPS) are committed to improving the employment and employability of offenders. Previous research suggests that 90 per cent of prisoners are likely to face unemployment on release from
custody. The Prison Service has a target of doubling the number of prisoners getting jobs on release by April 2004 and is investing £30 million in a custody to work programme to achieve this.
A key element is improving the basic skills of offenders. The Prison Service has stringent targets to improve the educational and vocational qualifications of offenders with 18,000 completions of level 2 basic and key skills awards in 2001–02. The NPS has targets of 6,000 completions of level 2 basic skills awards in 2002–03 and 12,000 completions in 2003–04.
The Prison Service and NPS are working together to develop strategies which will address resettlement issues and strengthen joint working partnerships. A NPS employment pathfinder is being developed to pilot the effectiveness of tools and inter-agency arrangements for assessing offenders' employment needs and managing interventions accordingly. In addition, a joint Prison and Probation Service resettlement pathfinder has been established to tackle practical resettlement issues such as finding and retaining appropriate employment and making sure this work develops seamlessly from custody to the community.
Lord Burnham asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Rooker: It is for individual chief officers to determine the staffing arrangements within their force and the chief constable does not have to apply for additional staff for the firearms licensing department. I understand that the Thames Valley Police Firearms Department has a current establishment of 16 civilian personnel and two full-time police officers, plus two part-time staff. Within this establishment there are
10 full-time firearms inquiry officers (including the two police officers) based upon 10 police areas. The establishment figure has remained the same for three consecutive years.
In recent months a further review of staffing levels has been carried out and an increase in the number of firearms inquiry officers is currently under consideration.
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many applications have been made by the Chief Constable of the Thames Valley police force for additional staff in the firearms licensing department; and how these are to be financed.[HL1295]
What data they have, for each of the last five years, on (a) the cost to retail traders resulting from customer theft, robbery and till snatches, and (b) expenditure by retail traders on crime prevention measures; and whether they intend taking any further action to assist retail traders in the prevention of crime.[HL1433]
28 Nov 2001 : Column WA38
Lord Rooker: The Retail Crime Survey 2000, carried out by the British Retail Consortium, includes the amounts for the 1999 and 2000 calendar years, which are given in the following table:
| 1999 | 2000 | |
| Values of losses (£000s) | ||
| Customer theft | 634,000 | 746,000 |
| Robbery | 4,350 | 3,700 |
| Till snatches | 428 | 635 |
| Cost of crime prevention (£000s) | 554,000 | 626,000 |
The above crime prevention costs address all types of crime against retailers, not just those given above.
Levels of expenditure on crime prevention matters by retailers are essentially a private matter for them.
We have, however, established the Retail Crime Reduction Action Team which operates across sector boundaries to reduce retail crime and develop intervention strategies aimed at preventing the occurrence of retail crime. It has produced a detailed guide on how to go about setting up and operating a local retail crime reduction partnership, and continues to assist with the development of these. There are now some 250 such partnerships covering major shopping centres in England and Wales. The team also supports the Safer Shopping Award which recognises the achievement of good overall security standards in shopping centres and gives active support to the work of Crime Concern in developing primary action groups aimed at deflecting young people from becoming involved in thefts from shops.
We are also providing funding of £15 million over three years for a project to improve security of small retailers in the most deprived areas throughout England and Wales, with £3 million to be spent this financial year and £6 million for each of the years 2002–03 and 2003–04. The money will be used to help retailers to enhance security of their premises by installing additional locks or toughened glass, or may be used to make improvements to their immediate environment. We are currently working with local communities to identify specific sites which can most benefit from the scheme.
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