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Alcohol Sales (Young People)
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prosecutions have been brought against licensees for selling alcohol to people under the age of 18 years since 1988; [18150]
- (2) how many licensees have been successfully prosecuted for selling alcohol to people under the age of 18 years since 1988; [18151]
(3) how many off-licence proprietors have been successfully prosecuted for selling alcohol to people under the age of 18 years since 1988; [18153]
(4) how many prosecutions have been brought against off-licence proprietors for selling alcohol to people under the age of 18 years since 1988. [18152]
Mr. Maclean: Information collected centrally under section 169(1) of the Licensing Act 1964--selling intoxicating liquor to persons under 18--does not separately identify the type of licensee involved.
| Prosecutions | Convictions | |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 673 | 357 |
| 1989 | 747 | 388 |
| 1990 | 574 | 273 |
| 1991 | 309 | 155 |
| 1992 | 195 | 87 |
| 1993 | 156 | 70 |
| 1994 | 137 | 83 |
| 1995 | 198 | 108 |
Identity Cards
Mr. Michael Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his policy that the proposed voluntary national identity card will eventually become compulsory for United Kingdom subjects. [18246]
Mr. Sackville: The Government's policy is for the national identity card to be voluntary. It may in practice be held very widely, but there are no plans for it to become compulsory.
Mr. Brown:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his policy that the proposed national identity card will be electronically linked to the police national computer database. [18219]
4 Mar 1997 : Column: 538
Mr. Sackville:
Decisions have not yet been taken on the practical arrangements for storing identity card data, but there are no plans for an electronic link between the national identity card and the database of the police national computer.
Mr. Thurnham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to inquire into the assistance given by public agencies to Ms Sharon Saunders of Bolton in her efforts to break the drug addiction of her late son; if he will order a public inquiry into the case; and if he will make a statement. [18143]
Mr. Sackville:
As I am sure the hon. Member is aware, an inquest is to be held into the death of Philip Saunders. We will consider any issues that arise from the inquest in respect of services for which the Home Office is responsible.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times during 1996 CS gas was used by police in the Metropolitan police area. [17962]
Mr. Maclean:
I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that during 1996 the Metropolitan police has used CS incapacitant spray on 120 occasions.
Mr. Wicks:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to designate Croydon as a permitted area for casino operation. [17975]
Mr. Kirkhope:
The Home Office issued consultation papers in February and November 1996 proposing 21 new permitted areas for casinos, including Croydon. We are currently considering the responses to the November proposals.
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the responsibilities of local authorities in relation to victim support initiatives. [18258]
Mr. Maclean:
I am not aware that local authorities have any formal responsibilities in relation to victim support initiatives. However, I understand that many local authorities do provide financial support to their local victim support schemes, and that the total amount of such support provided in 1995-96 was in the order of £1.4 million.
Mr. Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was his Department's financial contribution to the National Association of Victim Support Schemes in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [18259]
4 Mar 1997 : Column: 539
| Financial year | Home Office grant (£ million) |
|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 7.260 |
| 1993-94 | 8.375 |
| 1994-95 | 10.016 |
| 1995-96 | 10.817 |
| 1996-97 | 11.682 |
This generous funding has enabled Victim Support to achieve nationwide coverage with its 365 local schemes and branches and to establish a witness support service at all 77 Crown court centres. The Home Office grant meets the salary and related costs of over 600, full-time equivalent staff, who deploy over 12,000 volunteers to offer practical help and emotional support to well over 1 million victims of crime a year.
Rabies
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons rabies is singled out for particular attention in his Department's publication "Essential Information for United Kingdom passport-holders". [18361]
Mr. Kirkhope: It is felt desirable to warn British passport holders travelling abroad of the potential dangers of rabies as it is still endemic in certain parts of the world, such as the Indian sub-continent, where over 10,000 deaths a year are directly attributable to the disease.
The "Essential Information" publication, issued with all British passports, provides helpful advice and reminders to passport holders about sensible precautions which they can take when going abroad. The inclusion of factual information about rabies is still considered highly appropriate.
Children (Crime)
Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for preventing children offending. [18914]
Mr. Howard: The Government attach a high priority to dealing with juvenile crime. We have acted to provide the courts with the powers they need to deal effectively with serious and persistent young offenders; and we have acted to reduce the use of inappropriate cautioning. But it would be better if young people did not offend in the first place.
We have, therefore, developed proposals for a new strategy which aims to reduce the risk of children turning to crime. The strategy is based on research about the effectiveness of early intervention with children. We propose that it should be delivered by local agencies, including those in the voluntary sector, working together in partnership in a new local organisation, which might be known as a child crime team. Its task would be to identify children at risk of offending at an early age, and refer them to programmes designed to help them stay clear of crime. A Home Office research study published today--"Reducing Criminality among Young People", by David Utting--describes a selection of the kinds of programme that might be effective.
4 Mar 1997 : Column: 540
Parents have a very important role to play in bringing up their children to respect the law. Most parents face up to their responsibilities, and we believe that they would co-operate with suitable programmes which reduced the risk of their children turning to crime. But there is a small minority of parents who do not bring up their children responsibly and who may refuse to accept any support that is offered. To meet that situation, we propose to give the courts a new power to make a parental control order requiring parents to exercise proper care and control over their children. The courts would be able to attach conditions, such as attendance at a suitable programme. The order would be available both where a child aged 10 to 16 had committed an offence, and where no offence had been committed but a child of any age up to 16 had demonstrated unruly behaviour likely to lead to offending.
These proposals are contained in a Green Paper which had been published today. I have placed a copy in the Library.
Mr. John Marshall:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the results of the latest CCTV challenge competition; and if he will make a statement. [18915]
Mr. Maclean:
My right hon. and learned Friend will be announcing the results of the 1997-98 closed circuit television challenge competition on Wednesday 5 March. Details of the successful bids will be placed in the Library. A total of £15 million is being made available in this competition.
Mr. John Marshall:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the responses to the March 1996 consultation paper on the EC data protection directive (95/46/EC). [18916]
Mr. Sackville:
I am today placing a summary of the responses in the Library.
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