A national (England) estimate of the total number of rough sleepers in England is published every September based on the results of local authority street counts in those areas where a known, or suspected, rough-sleeping problem has been identified. The 2007 estimate showed a total of 498 rough sleepers.
In addition, information about English local authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation is collected quarterly at local authority level and includes the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty.
Information about decisions taken under the homelessness legislation in respect of Eastern Europeans is published quarterly, on CLG's housing statistics website.
Data for 2007 show that 440 Eastern European applicants were accepted as being owed a main homelessness duty, comprising 0.7 per cent of the total acceptances over the same period.
Immigration: Information
Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked Her Majesty's Government:
At which ports of entry into the United Kingdom there are information centres for those arriving to work in the United Kingdom. [HL3934]
17 Jun 2008 : Column WA147
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): Information on routes under which overseas workers may enter the United Kingdom to work is not made available at ports of entry into the country. Migrants are encouraged to obtain information before they travel here. Information, guidance and application forms on all routes are available on the UK Border Agency website at: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk.
Maldives: Elections
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): Yes, we plan to send observers to monitor the presidential elections in the Maldives in October.
17 Jun 2008 : Column WA148
Offensive Weapons
Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many breaches of knife and firearms regulations took place between 2000 and 2006 in each police authority district in the United Kingdom. [HL3909]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): Prosecution and conviction data for those proceeded against for knives and firearms related offences from 2000-06 are attached in the following tables. There is also attached an annexe of offences which has been added for guidance.
| Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty at all courts for selected knife offences, England and Wales, 2000 to 2006 (1)(2)(3) |
| 2000 | | 2001 | | 2002 | | 2003 | | 2004 | | 2005 | | 2006 | |
| Force | Proceeded against | Found guilty | Proceeded against | Found guilty | Proceeded against | Found guilty | Proceeded against | Found guilty | Proceeded against | Found guilty | Proceeded against | Found guilty | Proceeded against | Found guilty |
|
Avon and Somerset
|
229
|
164
|
288
|
168
|
365
|
229
|
393
|
274
|
331
|
244
|
304
|
232
|
385
|
282
|
|
Bedfordshire
|
95
|
69
|
80
|
64
|
125
|
74
|
162
|
103
|
205
|
111
|
216
|
142
|
154
|
126
|
|
Cambridgeshire
|
67
|
47
|
109
|
76
|
127
|
92
|
99
|
81
|
134
|
101
|
156
|
113
|
144
|
105
|
|
Cheshire
|
169
|
113
|
149
|
96
|
173
|
121
|
154
|
114
|
169
|
126
|
209
|
174
|
203
|
167
|
|
City of London
|
23
|
10
|
29
|
15
|
43
|
32
|
46
|
29
|
46
|
28
|
38
|
27
|
28
|
16
|
|
Cleveland
|
105
|
83
|
150
|
92
|
208
|
140
|
242
|
143
|
221
|
161
|
176
|
140
|
206
|
169
|
|
Cumbria
|
88
|
58
|
92
|
56
|
96
|
65
|
102
|
73
|
102
|
79
|
118
|
89
|
115
|
80
|
|
Derbyshire
|
141
|
89
|
189
|
125
|
204
|
130
|
243
|
155
|
272
|
177
|
205
|
162
|
202
|
152
|
|
Devon and Cornwall
|
220
|
140
|
227
|
158
|
313
|
197
|
333
|
246
|
303
|
213
|
293
|
227
|
258
|
215
|
|
Dorset
|
100
|
63
|
110
|
63
|
136
|
79
|
125
|
86
|
139
|
99
|
156
|
121
|
146
|
106
|
|
Durham
|
165
|
121
|
177
|
135
|
184
|
146
|
161
|
129
|
188
|
137
|
213
|
165
|
208
|
173
|
|
Essex
|
261
|
180
|
360
|
227
|
310
|
204
|
354
|
229
|
450
|
342
|
460
|
297
|
395
|
306
|
|
Gloucestershire
|
73
|
47
|
84
|
60
|
93
|
69
|
101
|
64
|
101
|
78
|
119
|
93
|
104
|
80
|
|
Greater Manchester
|
643
|
484
|
781
|
599
|
800
|
610
|
820
|
643
|
910
|
736
|
804
|
677
|
838
|
712
|
|
Hampshire
|
304
|
226
|
355
|
260
|
357
|
259
|
420
|
320
|
467
|
348
|
395
|
325
|
424
|
339
|
|
Hertfordshire
|
145
|
95
|
152
|
85
|
158
|
108
|
253
|
155
|
265
|
170
|
324
|
194
|
233
|
158
|
|
Humberside
|
180
|
127
|
169
|
111
|
209
|
146
|
241
|
177
|
259
|
212
|
277
|
225
|
279
|
219
|
|
Kent
|
268
|
184
|
257
|
185
|
256
|
165
|
242
|
169
|
192
|
129
|
189
|
146
|
187
|
140
|
|
Lancashire
|
300
|
213
|
382
|
275
|
405
|
264
|
432
|
296
|
469
|
340
|
415
|
319
|
433
|
322
|
|
Leicestershire
|
199
|
139
|
235
|
137
|
262
|
180
|
281
|
190
|
303
|
214
|
283
|
204
|
304
|
209
|
|
Lincolnshire
|
118
|
77
|
151
|
110
|
149
|
102
|
168
|
117
|
186
|
128
|
146
|
109
|
156
|
114
|
|
Merseyside
|
377
|
249
|
430
|
281
|
476
|
349
|
501
|
358
|
519
|
405
|
531
|
419
|
566
|
466
|
|
Metropolitan Police
|
3,113
|
2,025
|
4,103
|
2,654
|
4,833
|
3,332
|
4,267
|
2,929
|
4,152
|
2,977
|
3,984
|
2,991
|
3,920
|
2,967
|
|
Norfolk
|
98
|
79
|
142
|
95
|
187
|
112
|
183
|
134
|
188
|
134
|
194
|
138
|
178
|
137
|
|
North Yorkshire
|
102
|
65
|
109
|
71
|
120
|
90
|
130
|
93
|
161
|
124
|
145
|
114
|
134
|
113
|
|
Northamptonshire
|
72
|
46
|
65
|
33
|
82
|
45
|
84
|
53
|
79
|
49
|
77
|
44
|
52
|
32
|
|
Northumbria
|
474
|
333
|
534
|
382
|
617
|
449
|
606
|
412
|
555
|
439
|
559
|
450
|
534
|
436
|
|
Nottinghamshire
|
252
|
152
|
280
|
175
|
315
|
191
|
380
|
234
|
349
|
256
|
364
|
265
|
364
|
263
|
|
South Yorkshire
|
243
|
174
|
322
|
214
|
412
|
265
|
418
|
271
|
373
|
249
|
371
|
297
|
353
|
285
|
|
Staffordshire
|
-
| |
181
|
110
|
236
|
158
|
219
|
164
|
267
|
165
|
232
|
156
|
267
|
196
|
|
Suffolk
|
103
|
74
|
102
|
68
|
152
|
102
|
168
|
107
|
161
|
117
|
176
|
132
|
213
|
178
|
|
Surrey
|
99
|
59
|
107
|
59
|
82
|
50
|
96
|
64
|
99
|
68
|
102
|
68
|
95
|
67
|
|
Sussex
|
241
|
160
|
263
|
175
|
306
|
215
|
280
|
198
|
254
|
196
|
298
|
229
|
298
|
232
|
|
Thames Valley
|
211
|
127
|
299
|
175
|
366
|
211
|
350
|
179
|
364
|
216
|
439
|
284
|
458
|
309
|
|
Warwickshire
|
51
|
43
|
45
|
34
|
53
|
42
|
63
|
49
|
87
|
68
|
62
|
43
|
86
|
59
|
17 Jun 2008 : Column WA149
17 Jun 2008 : Column WA150
|
West Mercia
|
111
|
68
|
171
|
105
|
138
|
97
|
169
|
124
|
220
|
154
|
227
|
178
|
288
|
224
|
|
West Midlands
|
842
|
513
|
1,119
|
747
|
1,184
|
765
|
1,109
|
723
|
1,162
|
765
|
908
|
705
|
1,054
|
805
|
|
West Yorkshire
|
348
|
208
|
439
|
255
|
556
|
322
|
524
|
355
|
581
|
451
|
557
|
424
|
513
|
390
|
|
Wiltshire
|
85
|
64
|
110
|
76
|
118
|
85
|
112
|
77
|
120
|
86
|
132
|
102
|
138
|
110
|
|
Dyfed-Powys
|
103
|
60
|
92
|
56
|
107
|
61
|
112
|
68
|
102
|
69
|
102
|
74
|
86
|
54
|
|
Gwent
|
90
|
54
|
95
|
|
