HC Deb 24 July 2000 vol 354 cc462-3W
Mr. Key

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list for each civil service grade the academic and professional qualifications of the officials at his Department's Police and Scientific Development Branch; [131765]

(2) if he will list the number of officials, by civil service grade, employed at his Department's Police and Scientific Development Branch. [131776]

Mr. Straw

The numbers and grades of staff employed at the Police and Scientific Development Branch (PSDB) are given in the table.

Grade Number
SCS 2
Grade 6 3
Grade 7 11
SSO/SPTO 21
HSO/HPTO/HEO 22
SO/PTO/EO 21
SPS/PS 4
AO 6
AA 3
Typist 1
SGB1 2

Staff recruited to PSDB at SO level or above will have a minimum of a good honours degree in an appropriate scientific or technological subject. Many staff also possess further degrees and are members of the appropriate professional body.

Mr. Key

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Police and Scientific Development Branch received their first prototype of the AVID hand-held radar system. [131773]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The Police and Scientific Development Branch procured an AVID system, known at that time as VADAR, on behalf of the Prison Service in April 1999.

Mr. Key

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) referrals for trials and assessment and (b) reports of completed trials were made in respect of his Police and Scientific Development Branch in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [131775]

Mr. Straw

The Police and Scientific Development Branch (PSDB) has published 78 reports since 1997, the majority dealing with trials and assessments conducted on behalf of the police service or other PSDB customers. PSDB does not have a central record of requests for trials and assessments.

Mr. Key

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the budget of his Department's Police and Scientific Development Branch in(a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000 and (e) 2001. [131763]

Mr. Straw

The budget for the Police and Scientific Development Branch is shown in the table, the figures are in £000.

£000
1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01
Pay 2,462 2,512 2,667 3,145
Non pay 1,283 1,308 1,338 1,618
Capital 222 196 196 222
Other current 4,700 5,042 4,830 5,623
Receipts (3,320) (3,348) (3,178) (4,435)
Total net expenditure 5,347 5,710 5,853 6,173