§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions of motorists for driving a motor vehicle while using a mobile telephone there were in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [43632]
§ Mr. MichaelThe information requested is not available.
There is no separate offence of driving a vehicle while using a mobile telephone, and any prosecution is likely to be driving without due care and attention, for which there were 66,858 prosecutions in England and Wales in 1996 (73,015 in 1995, 76,251 in 1994 and 79,415 in 1993). Figures for 1997 are not yet available.
Trial area Total offenders sentenced Sentences completed Total sentences revoked Revoked through breach 1 Revoked for other reasons Currently being monitored Berkshire 96 68 14 6 1 15 Greater Manchester 843 542 105 36 8 192 Norfolk 354 231 31 23 8 92 Cambridgeshire2 20 2 1 1 0 17 Middlesex 29 3 3 3 0 22 Suffolk 13 1 1 1 0 11 West Yorkshire 22 5 1 1 0 15 Total 1,377 852 156 71 17 364 1 Separate figures on the reasons for breaches were only collected in all trial areas from August 1997 2 The trials in Cambridgeshire, Middlesex, Suffolk and West Yorkshire began in January 1998
§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when it is planned to extend curfew orders on a national basis; and which companies will be competing for the contract. [43878]
§ Ms QuinFurther to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Coaker), of 17 March 1998,Official Report, columns 559–60, four bidders have been short-listed for the electronic monitoring services contracts. They are General Security Services Corporation, Securicor Custodial Services, Premier Prisons Limited and Group 4 Prison and Court Services Limited. National roll-out of court-ordered curfews is unlikely to be before late 1999.