House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 2 May 2006 (pt 28)

Domestic Violence

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to define domestic violence; and if he will make a statement. [64880]

Hazel Blears: Legislation is not required as, since 2004, the Government have a commonly agreed definition of domestic violence:

'Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality.'

This replaces the various definitions previously used by Government Departments and agencies. The definition was agreed by members of the Inter-Ministerial Group for Domestic Violence which is chaired by the right hon. Baroness Scotland, the Minister of State for Criminal Justice and Offender Management.

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what definition he uses of domestic violence; and what the Government's policy is on the intervention of police officers in domestic incidents. [65182]

Hazel Blears: The common Government definition (agreed in 2004) of domestic violence is:

2 May 2006 : Column 1410W

This definition mirrors the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) definition, which ACPO have recommended that all police forces use.

The Government support the ACPO 'Guidance on Investigating Domestic Violence' which states that:

'action taken at all stages of the police response should ensure the effective protection of victims and children while allowing the criminal justice system to hold the offender to account. An effective and proactive investigation should be completed in all cases where a domestic violence incident is reported.'

This guidance has been promulgated in England and Wales through the Centrex (Central Police Training and Development Authority) and CPS training for all police officers and Crown Prosecution Service prosecutors. By 2008, all police officers, CPS prosecutors and caseworkers will be trained in domestic violence.

General Election Leaflets

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the remarks of the Minister of State for Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality, of 21 March 2006, Official Report, columns 214–15, if he will list (a) the candidates and (b) the parties responsible for the general election leaflets from which he quoted; which were the candidates' leaflets which he described as verging on the racist; if he will list the newspaper advertisements which he suggested contained misinformation and lies; and if he will correct the incorrect information to which he referred. [61672]

Mr. McNulty: I will write to the hon. Member.

General Pinochet

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total public expenditure was on the arrest and detention of General Pinochet. [50528]

Hazel Blears: The total cost to public funds of the extradition case of Senator Pinochet was £3,857,108.58. The breakdown of this is as follows:

1. Total costs incurred by the Home Office: £670,588.82, comprising:

Treasury Solicitor's fees £63,150.00*

Disbursements (mainly counsel's fees) £292,385.93*

Costs of the Kingdom of Belgium and Amnesty International £155,081.68

Costs of medical examination on 5 January 2000 £11,751.25

Responding to public correspondence (this covers staff costs where letters were handled in house and Central Office of Information fees where letters were contracted out) £10,941.05

Staff costs (estimated) £165,778.91*

Of these two amounts £28,500.00 was recovered from Senator Pinochet under costs orders made against Senator Pinochet by the High Court.

2. Total costs incurred by the Crown Prosecution Service: £676,691.00, comprising:

Counsel's fees £425,077.00

Staff costs (estimated) £137,055.00

Other costs (interpreters, travel and subsistence and photocopying) £114,559.00

3. Total costs incurred by the legal secretariat to the law officers: £60,000.00, comprising:

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Staff costs (estimated) £60,000.00

4. Total costs incurred by the Lord Chancellor's Department: £1,209,775.05:

The Law Lords ordered that Senator Pinochet's costs should be met from central funds for the first two hearings before the House of Lords in the unusual circumstances of the case. The costs paid from central funds were as follows:

for the first hearing in the House of Lords £270,935.89; and

for the application to set aside the judgment following the first hearing in the House of Lords £151,361.30.

The costs of those divisional court hearings in which Senator Pinochet was successful or which did not proceed, and the costs of the committal proceedings in Bow Street magistrates court from 27 September to 1 October 1999, were also ordered to be paid from central funds. The costs of these hearings were £787,477.86.

All these costs were ordered to be paid under Section 16 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985, and they fall to be paid out of the Lord Chancellor's Department's portion of central funds.

Senator Pinochet received no legal aid funding in any of the proceedings against him.

5. Treasury Solicitor's fees: £100,053.76, comprising:

Amicus Curiae (costs and disbursements including counsel's fees): £71,029.00

Other costs and disbursements: £29,024.76

6. Total security costs: £1,200,000.00:

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Responsibility for Senator Pinochet's protection and detention were the responsibility of the Metropolitan Police. For security reasons, it has long been the practice of successive Government's not to provide information about police operations relating to protection.

The costs incurred by Surrey police relating to general policing and public order matters in relation to Senator Pinochet's residence in Wentworth were £1,200,000.00.

All of the above figures include value added tax where appropriate.

Home Detention Curfew Scheme

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners released on the home detention curfew scheme were subsequently recalled to prison before their sentence expiry date for committing violent crimes. [45868]

Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Imitation Weapons

Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the extent of the use of imitation and replica weapons by criminals. [65425]

Hazel Blears: Imitation weapons were used in 30 per cent. of non-air weapon offences in 2006. Detailed figures are published in Quarterly Crime Statistics and Violent Crime Overview 26 January 2006.

The Violent Crime Reduction Bill includes a number of new provisions to tackle the use of imitation firearms. These include a ban on the manufacture or sale of realistic imitation firearms; tougher manufacturing standards to prevent imitation firearms being converted to fire live ammunition and tougher sentences for carrying imitation firearms.
Table 3.03: Crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales in which firearms were reported to have been used by typeof principal weapon Number of offences

1998–99⁽⁷⁾ 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02⁽⁸⁾ 2002–03⁽⁹⁾ 2003–04 2004–05

Long -barrelled shotgun 322 353 303 380 361 424 305

Sawn-off shotgun 320 340 305 332 310 294 293

Handgun

Converted imitation — — — — — — 20

Reactivated — — — — — — 2

Converted air pistol — — — — — — 18

Other — — — — — — 866

Type unknown — — — — — — 3,441

Handgun total 2,687 3,685 4,109 5,874 5,549 5,144 4,347

Rifle 43 67 36 64 52 48 55

Imitation firearm

Imitation handgun — — — — — — 354

Soft air weapon — — — — — — 200

BB gun — — — — — — 2,625

Deactivated firearm — — — — — — 1

Blank firer — — — — — — 27

Other Imitation — — — — — — 126

Imitation firearm total 566 823 787 1,245 1,815 2,146 3,333

Unidentified firearm 665 762 950 1,176 1,431 1,356 1,462

Other firearm

Unconverted starting gun ⁽¹⁰⁾— ⁽¹⁰⁾— ⁽¹⁰⁾— ⁽¹⁰⁾— ⁽¹⁰⁾— ⁽¹⁰⁾— 9

CS gas — — — — — — 515

Pepper spray — — — — — — 140

Machine gun — — — — — — 25

Stun-gun — — — — — — 142

Other converted imitation weapon — — — — — — 1

Other reactivated weapon — — — — — — —

Disguised firearm — — — — — — 14

Other firearms (specified) — — — — — — 323

Other firearm total 606 813 980 952 730 926 1,178

All weapons excluding air weapons 5,209 6,843 7,470 10,023 10,246 10,338 10,964

Air weapon 8,665 10,103 10,227 12,377 13,822 13,756 11,825

All weapons 13,874 16,946 17,697 22,400 24,070 24,094 22,789

⁽⁷⁾ There was a change in the counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998.
⁽⁸⁾ Figures may have been inflated by some police forces implementing the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard before 1 April 2002.
⁽⁹⁾ The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002. Figures for some crime categories may have been inflated by this.
⁽¹⁰⁾ Included in 'Other firearm' total.

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	1998–99⁽⁷⁾	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02⁽⁸⁾	2002–03⁽⁹⁾	2003–04	2004–05
Long -barrelled shotgun	322	353	303	380	361	424	305

Sawn-off shotgun	320	340	305	332	310	294	293

Handgun
Converted imitation	—	—	—	—	—	—	20
Reactivated	—	—	—	—	—	—	2
Converted air pistol	—	—	—	—	—	—	18
Other	—	—	—	—	—	—	866
Type unknown	—	—	—	—	—	—	3,441
Handgun total	2,687	3,685	4,109	5,874	5,549	5,144	4,347

Rifle	43	67	36	64	52	48	55

Imitation firearm
Imitation handgun	—	—	—	—	—	—	354
Soft air weapon	—	—	—	—	—	—	200
BB gun	—	—	—	—	—	—	2,625
Deactivated firearm	—	—	—	—	—	—	1
Blank firer	—	—	—	—	—	—	27
Other Imitation	—	—	—	—	—	—	126
Imitation firearm total	566	823	787	1,245	1,815	2,146	3,333

Unidentified firearm	665	762	950	1,176	1,431	1,356	1,462

Other firearm
Unconverted starting gun	⁽¹⁰⁾—	⁽¹⁰⁾—	⁽¹⁰⁾—	⁽¹⁰⁾—	⁽¹⁰⁾—	⁽¹⁰⁾—	9
CS gas	—	—	—	—	—	—	515
Pepper spray	—	—	—	—	—	—	140
Machine gun	—	—	—	—	—	—	25
Stun-gun	—	—	—	—	—	—	142
Other converted imitation weapon	—	—	—	—	—	—	1
Other reactivated weapon	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Disguised firearm	—	—	—	—	—	—	14
Other firearms (specified)	—	—	—	—	—	—	323
Other firearm total	606	813	980	952	730	926	1,178

All weapons excluding air weapons	5,209	6,843	7,470	10,023	10,246	10,338	10,964

Air weapon	8,665	10,103	10,227	12,377	13,822	13,756	11,825

All weapons	13,874	16,946	17,697	22,400	24,070	24,094	22,789

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