House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 18 Apr 2006 (pt 77)

18 Apr 2006 : Column 297W—continued

European Scrutiny Committee (Eurojust)

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will respond to requests from the European Scrutiny Committee to clarify his policy towards Eurojust guidelines as to which jurisdiction should prosecute; and if he will make a statement. [62686]

18 Apr 2006 : Column 298W

Andy Burnham: The letter dated 26 July 2005 to the Chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee responded to the Committee's request for clarification. A duplicate copy of the letter has been forwarded to the Committee.

Family Visitor Appeals

Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many family visitor appeals have been received in each of the past five years. [63966]

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.

The volume of family visitor appeals received at the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) and its predecessor, the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA), over the last five business years are as follows:

Business year Family visitor appeal receipts

2001–02 5,056

2002–03 9,856

2003–04 16,884

2004–05 30,643

2005–06⁽⁹⁸⁾ 49,738

⁽⁹⁸⁾ April to December 2005.
Note:
Information for the financial year 2005–06 is provisional.

Business year	Family visitor appeal receipts
2001–02	5,056
2002–03	9,856
2003–04	16,884
2004–05	30,643
2005–06⁽⁹⁸⁾	49,738

Financial Offences (Convictions)

Sir Patrick Cormack: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average sentence passed for those convicted of offences connected with

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(a) extortion, (b) intellectual property crimes, (c) money laundering, (d) smuggling and (e) oils fraud in England and Wales was over the last five years. [63798]

18 Apr 2006 : Column 300W

Fiona Mactaggart: The available information is shown in the following tables.
Table 1—persons sentenced for various indictable offences, those given custody and average custodial sentence length,England and Wales 2000–04

Offence Statute Year Numbers of persons sentenced Number sentenced to immediate custody Average custodial sentence length (months)

(a) Extortion

Blackmail Theft Act 1968 2000 112 77 31.9

2001 110 79 44.6

2002 133 97 30.9

2003 126 86 31.8

2004 138 106 31.7

(b) Intellectual property crime

Copyright infringement etc Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 2000 50 5 5.4

2001 50 2 5.2

2002 25 2 7.5

2003 48 1 4.0

2004 59 13 3.6

Unauthorised use of Trade Mark, falsification of register etc Trade Marks Act 1994 2000 367 42 5.7

2001 326 27 7.6

2002 328 23 7.2

2003 402 21 8.1

2004 492 71 5.0

Supplying or possession for purposes of supply of video recording of unclassified work Video Recordings Act 1984 2000 168 9 3.7

2001 143 8 2.4

2002 134 2 9.5

2003 97 4 5.0

2004 86 5 5.0

False trade descriptions Trade Description Act 1968 2000 346 19 6.9

2001 266 11 7.5

2002 227 6 4.8

2003 197 11 7.4

2004 173 3 5.3

(c) Money laundering

Offences relating to drugs (concealing proceeds of drug trafficking etc, 'tipping off' and prejudicing an investigation) Drug Trafficking Act 1994 and Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 2000 27 18 38.7

2001 41 31 59.7

2002 40 31 45.3

2003 49 39 38.9

2004 28 21 30.1

Offences relating other than to drugs (concealing, acquiring etc, criminal property, failure to disclose 'tipping off' etc) Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 2000 n/a n/a n/a

2001 n/a n/a n/a

2002 1 — —

2003 12 6 49.5

2004 124 62 30.6

(d) Smuggling

Unlawful importation or exportation of controlled drug Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 and Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 2000 1,249 1,131 66.9

2001 1,643 1,533 62.3

2002 1,699 1,601 58.5

2003 1,151 1,089 66.7

2004 1,063 1,008 71.5

Fraudulent evasion of duty(not involving drugs)—alcohol, tobacco etc Customs and Excise Management Act1979 2000 1,018 641 11.6

2001 463 317 20.0

2002 282 189 16.6

2003 421 223 14.1

2004 334 156 15.8

Principal offence basis.
n/a = not available.
Source:
RDS NOMS, Home Office

18 Apr 2006 : Column 301W

Table 2—persons sentenced to immediate custody for oils fraud offences and average custodial sentence length, Englandand Wales 2001–04

Offence Statute Year Number sentenced to immediate custody Average custodial sentence length (months)

(e) Oils fraud

Misuse of rebated fuel and distribution of illicit fuel, importation, smuggling and laundering of fuel Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979 and Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 2001 9 16.0

2002 8 14.0

2003 17 14.0

2004 12 15.0

Note:
There will be some overlap between these figures and those shown in table 1 above under 'Smuggling—Fraudulent evasion of duty'.
Source:
HMRC

Offence	Statute	Year	Numbers of persons sentenced	Number sentenced to immediate custody	Average custodial sentence length (months)
(a) Extortion
Blackmail	Theft Act 1968	2000	112	77	31.9
		2001	110	79	44.6
		2002	133	97	30.9
		2003	126	86	31.8
		2004	138	106	31.7

(b) Intellectual property crime
Copyright infringement etc	Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988	2000	50	5	5.4
		2001	50	2	5.2
		2002	25	2	7.5
		2003	48	1	4.0
		2004	59	13	3.6
Unauthorised use of Trade Mark, falsification of register etc	Trade Marks Act 1994	2000	367	42	5.7
		2001	326	27	7.6
		2002	328	23	7.2
		2003	402	21	8.1
		2004	492	71	5.0
Supplying or possession for purposes of supply of video recording of unclassified work	Video Recordings Act 1984	2000	168	9	3.7
		2001	143	8	2.4
		2002	134	2	9.5
		2003	97	4	5.0
		2004	86	5	5.0
False trade descriptions	Trade Description Act 1968	2000	346	19	6.9
		2001	266	11	7.5
		2002	227	6	4.8
		2003	197	11	7.4
		2004	173	3	5.3

(c) Money laundering
Offences relating to drugs (concealing proceeds of drug trafficking etc, 'tipping off' and prejudicing an investigation)	Drug Trafficking Act 1994 and Proceeds of Crime Act 2002	2000	27	18	38.7
		2001	41	31	59.7
		2002	40	31	45.3
		2003	49	39	38.9
		2004	28	21	30.1
Offences relating other than to drugs (concealing, acquiring etc, criminal property, failure to disclose 'tipping off' etc)	Proceeds of Crime Act 2002	2000	n/a	n/a	n/a
		2001	n/a	n/a	n/a
		2002	1	—	—
		2003	12	6	49.5
		2004	124	62	30.6

(d) Smuggling
Unlawful importation or exportation of controlled drug	Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 and Misuse of Drugs Act 1971	2000	1,249	1,131	66.9
		2001	1,643	1,533	62.3
		2002	1,699	1,601	58.5
		2003	1,151	1,089	66.7
		2004	1,063	1,008	71.5
Fraudulent evasion of duty(not involving drugs)—alcohol, tobacco etc	Customs and Excise Management Act1979	2000	1,018	641	11.6
		2001	463	317	20.0
		2002	282	189	16.6
		2003	421	223	14.1
		2004	334	156	15.8

Offence	Statute	Year	Number sentenced to immediate custody	Average custodial sentence length (months)
(e) Oils fraud
Misuse of rebated fuel and distribution of illicit fuel, importation, smuggling and laundering of fuel	Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979 and Customs and Excise Management Act 1979	2001	9	16.0
		2002	8	14.0
		2003	17	14.0
		2004	12	15.0

Fixed Penalty Notices

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many fixed penalty notices for traffic offences have been issued in each of the last eight years, broken down by police force area; [61275]

(2) how many fixed penalty notices for traffic offences have not been paid in each of the last eight years, broken down by police force area; [61276]

(3) how much income has been raised from fixed penalty notices relating to traffic offences in the last eight years, broken down by police force area. [61291]

Hazel Blears: Information on fixed penalty notices issued for motoring offences by offence groups and police force area can be found in the annual Home Office publication 'Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales supplementary tables'—Tables 20(a) to 20(c) refer. Copies are available from the Library. Data are also collected centrally on the disposal, (i.e. paid, fine registration certificate issued etc) of fixed penalty notices issued by individual police force area. However because of the time taken for the procedures for payment to be enforced the data are collected approximately nine months later than the period of issue. Tables 21(a) and 21(b) of the above publication details data by number and percentage of fixed penalty notices by result. Information on revenue generated from fixed penalty notices issued as a result of traffic offences is not available centrally.

Football Fans

Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support and protection his Department offers to English football fans travelling abroad. [61185]

Dr. Howells: I have been asked to reply.

We provide consular assistance to British football supporters travelling overseas for club or international fixtures. We work closely with the relevant football bodies,

18 Apr 2006 : Column 302W

including fans' groups and authorities, law enforcement in the UK and overseas, to prepare an appropriate consular service for such games. The assistance we provide to British nationals who are in difficulty overseas may be found in Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide", which was launched by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 21 March. The Guide can be found on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at: http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1100183245921.

Greater Manchester Police

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received on the financial situation of Greater Manchester police. [60247]

Hazel Blears: We received written representations from Manchester Police authority in response to the provisional police funding settlement announced on 5 December. These were fully taken into account in determining the final settlement that was agreed by the House on 6 February.

I received public correspondence from one local MP in February about Greater Manchester's budget for 2006–07. My officials replied on 16 March to correspondence of 8 March from a councillor for Oldham metropolitan borough.

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