Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Herbert of South Downs and Karen Lumley

Tuesday 29th March 2011 Commons Chamber

[Karen Lumley (Redditch) (Con)]

13. How many prisoners convicted of violent offences and released under the early release scheme between 2007 and 2010 have since been returned to prison.

[The Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice (Nick Herbert)]

Over 80,000 prisoners were released under the end of custody licence scheme. Over 16,000 of these were violent offenders, of whom 494 were recalled to custody during the ECL period. It is not possible to calculate how many were recalled or imprisoned for a new offence after the ECL period.

[Karen Lumley]

I thank the Minister for his answer. Will he inform me of his plans to avoid a repetition of the shambolic and incoherent justice policy that saw a mass early release of many prisoners, many of whom went on to commit new offences and were returned to jail?

[Nick Herbert]

I can reassure my hon. Friend that we will do everything possible to avoid a return to the scheme that was cynically stopped by the previous Government just before the last election, but not before they had released over 80,000 prisoners. There were 1,600 alleged offences committed by the prisoners who were released early, including six serious further offences and one murder. The Opposition should certainly not be lecturing us on that area.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Herbert of South Downs and Karen Lumley

Monday 24th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Nick Herbert]

I have had several discussions with the Mayor, the deputy Mayor for policing and the acting Metropolitan Police Commissioner, all of whom are absolutely committed to protecting neighbourhood policing. We are all convinced that it is possible to drive considerable savings in policing, including the Met, in the back and middle office, so that the visible and available policing that the public value can be protected.

[Karen Lumley (Redditch) (Con)]

T5. I congratulate the UK Border Agency on its work. At the weekend, it caught five illegal immigrants on the French border who had been making their way to my constituency in a lorry. I welcome the increased border policing on the other side of the channel, but what further steps will the Department take to ensure that stronger measures are introduced to deter those who try to smuggle people into the United Kingdom?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Herbert of South Downs and Karen Lumley

Monday 6th September 2010 Commons Chamber

[Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-on-Avon) (Con)]

6. What recent representations she has received on the proportion of police officers’ time spent on administrative tasks.

[Karen Lumley (Redditch) (Con)]

16. What recent representations she has received on the proportion of police officers’ time spent on administrative tasks.

[The Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice (Nick Herbert)]

I have spoken to many officers about the time that they have to spend filling out forms.  The Government are committed to reducing bureaucracy so that the police can get back on to the streets and deal with crime.

--- Later in debate ---

[Nick Herbert]

I appreciate the burden that non-emergency calls place on police forces. The Government are investigating how we can take forward a plan for a national non-emergency number, which I think will improve the service to the public. We are committed to reducing bureaucracy. We have already scrapped the policing pledge and the previous Government’s targets. We want to ensure that police officers can be out on the streets where the public want to see them.

[Karen Lumley]

I understand that in my constituency of Redditch, much progress has been made on reducing the time that police spend on administrative tasks, and I appreciate that paperwork is necessary. However, the number of robberies and other theft offences has risen in Redditch since 2007. Does the Minister agree that such crime could be significantly reduced if the police were given more time on the beat and spent less time filling in forms?

[Nick Herbert]

I agree with my hon. Friend and understand her concern about those crimes. A recent report of the inspectorate of constabulary found that the police were visible and available to the community for an average of only about 10% of the time because they are too tied up in bureaucracy. We must tackle that.