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22 Jul 2004 : Column 606W—continued
Police Intelligence Database
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made with his proposals for establishing a national police intelligence database; and if he will make a statement. [180794]
Caroline Flint:
As announced by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary in his statement to the House on 22 June 2004, following publication of Sir Michael
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Bichard's Report, the Government shall introduce the first national police intelligence computer system. Entitled "Impact", it will ensure that all forces use the same system to manage and share intelligence information. In the following debate, in answer to the hon. Member for Winchester (Mr. Oaten), the Home Secretary indicated Impact could be in operation in two years, building on the Police Local Exchange (PLX) which should be available next spring. In the meantime three phases are being taken forward. Firstly, Impact will combine intelligence and data from forces' operational systems to deliver real data sharing. This is happening as we speak and progress is encouraging. Secondly, Impact will have analysis tools to pick out patterns of crime. Thirdly, it will enable specific police operations, within and between forces, through briefing and tasking functions. The Police Information Technology Organisation is now undertaking a full feasibility study of the requirements and solutions to build a technical demonstrator by next spring.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange for the early inspection of all police force intelligence systems before issuing the proposed statutory code. [181455]
Caroline Flint: The Police Information Technology Organisation will review and evaluate all intelligence systems available off-the-shelf either commercially or already within police forces as part of the work to build a technical demonstrator for the 'Impact' national intelligence system. Additionally, the data sharing phase of Impact will require a systems and data healthcheck in each force to prepare data held locally in a common format.
The National Policing Plan requires all forces to comply with the National Intelligence Model for gathering and analysis of criminal intelligence. The Association of Chief Police Officers' (ACPO) minimum standards form part of the baseline assessment of forces undertaken by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). The National Centre for Policing Excellence will co-ordinate the additional guidance to forces recommended by Sir Michael Bichard. This Statutory Code will set out the standards to be monitored both through HMIC Inspections and the Police Standards Unit through the 'Policing Performance Assessment Framework'.
Polls/Focus Groups
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has spent on (a) opinion polling and (b) focus groups in each year since 2001. [185270]
Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office undertakes a wide range of research activities that support the development of information led policy.
The Department conducts or commissions such work only when it is justified by the specific needs of a particular policy or programme and when this is the most economical, efficient and effective way to achieve the purpose. Consulting and involving the public helps inform both policy formulation and the delivery of better quality public services.
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Research programmes are often complex and combine a mixture of quantitative and qualitative elements. It is therefore not always possible to break down the separate costs of polling and focus group components from the overall cost of a research project. It has therefore not been possible to provide the breakdown requested without incurring disproportionate cost.
Prison Officers
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to regard assaults on prison officers in the execution of their duties as notifiable offences. [183445]
Paul Goggins: Assault is already a notifiable offence. There are no specific plans to make all assaults on prison officers separately notifiable.
In certain circumstances, assaults on a prison officer are already included in the recorded crime (notifiable offences) series. Any offence, which is reported to and investigated by the police, will be recorded as a notifiable offence by them.
However, a minor offence which is dealt with under prison discipline, would not usually be recorded by the police.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to regard prison officers as constables for the purposes of section 89 of the Police Act 1996. [183446]
Paul Goggins: There are no current plans to do so.
Prison Service
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers were employed by the Prison Service on a part-time basis on 31 March in each of the last five years. [183953]
Paul Goggins: The table contains the number of part-time officers in each year since 1999. The figures include prison officers, senior officers and principal officers.
| 31 March | Number |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 662 |
| 2003 | 501 |
| 2002 | 343 |
| 2001 | 211 |
| 2000 | 142 |
| 1999 | 140 |
The figures for 1999 and 2000 are estimates.
There has been a significant increase in the number of officers working part-time, which is a reflection of the greater emphasis placed on work-life balance in recent years.
An addition, the Prison Service Equal Opportunities policy was issued in 2003 to encourage more staff to work part-time hours. This part of the Service's work-life balance policy, which also includes; job sharing and other flexible working patterns.
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It is now the case that all posts including those on recruitment must be available on either a part-time or job-share basis, except where critical examination by line management shows the post to be unsuitable for part-time or job-share.
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the prison population was on 31 March in each of the last five years. [183954]
Paul Goggins: The prison population in England and Wales on 31 March in each of the last five years is provided in the table.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 65,463 |
| 2001 | 65,394 |
| 2002 | 69,784 |
| 2003 | 72,954 |
| 2004 | 75,295 |
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have undertaken dirty protests in each of the last five years. [183955]
Paul Goggins: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have been required to remain in a hospital overnight with prison officer supervision in each of the last five years. [183956]
Paul Goggins: This information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the main benefits of competition within the Prison Service are. [182304]
Paul Goggins: Competitive tendering is one of the principles underlying Government purchasing activities and contributes to seeking and demonstrating good value for money. Additionally, requirements above certain financial thresholds stipulated by the EU have to be advertised in accordance with EU rules on public procurement.
Competition ensures that a contract is formed with the most suitable supplier in the market for the goods or services required. Checks undertaken as part of the procurement process will mean that the supplier is financially sound, technically and commercially capable of providing the goods or services, submits the best offer in value for money terms and can be expected to provide the goods or service successfully.
All of this reduces the risk to the Department of a failed contract and provides an audit trail that illustrates the department's commitment to an impartial selection and award process.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison healthcare officers were (a) in post and (b) planned to be in post on 31 March. [183983]
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Paul Goggins: On 31 March 2004 the Prison Service corporate personnel database recorded 488 prison officer healthcare staff in post, compared to an operational staffing requirement of 550. This includes prison officer, senior officer and principal officer specialists. It excludes officers who are training to be specialist healthcare officers.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison healthcare officers there were in each prison establishment on 31 March in each of the last five years. [183984]
Paul Goggins: Information on the number of specialist healthcare officers within each public sector prison establishment for each year since 2001 is contained in the table. Prior to 2001, this data was not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The figures include prison officer, senior officer and principal officer specialists and are all on a headcount basis.
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Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the training programme is for prison healthcare officers; and how many officers have undertaken the training in each of the last five years. [183985]
Paul Goggins: This information is not available in precisely the form requested. Prison staff without nursing qualifications are eligible to become healthcare officers. The expectation is that they will obtain a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in custodial healthcare or another health-related subject.
The first pilot for the NVQ in custodial healthcare, which began in June 2002 with 53 candidates from 24 establishments, is due to be completed on 4 August
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2004. The Prison Service is currently compiling information on which healthcare officers already have a relevant NVQ and who would like to obtain one.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison custody officer certificates have been withdrawn by his Department from staff at Her Majesty's Prison Bronzefield. [183986]
Paul Goggins: The Office for Contracted Prisons certifies all Prison Custody Officers. The Certification of the first Prison Custody Officer for HMP Bronzefield took place on the 10 June 2004. From this date 123 people have been certified to work at HMP Bronzefield as Prison Custody Officers. At present no certificates have been withdrawn.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the innovative working practices, methods and programmes that have been introduced at privately run prison establishments that have been subsequently introduced into publicly run prisons as best practice; and if he will make a statement. [184690]
Paul Goggins: There is no simple way to track the spread of innovative working practices between the private and public sectors of the Prison Service. However since the first private prison opened in 1992 significant improvements have been achieved in the treatment of prisoners, regimes and facilities, staff deployment and the use of technology. The introduction of contestability through Market Testing will further encourage the dissemination of good practice.
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