§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers at(a) Feltham Young Offenders Institution and (b) other YOIs in the south-east of England were on long-term sickness leave in each of the last three years in (i) actual and (ii) percentage terms. [148172]
§ Mr. BoatengThe information requested is provided for 1999 and 2000 in the table. Reliable sickness absence data are not available prior to 1 January 1999. Of the figures above, 15 officer grades from Feltham and 25 officer grades from the other young offender institutions quoted have sickness absence spread across both years and for the purpose of this reply these have been counted in both years. Long-term sickness absence is defined as greater than one month.
427W
1 January to 31 December 1999 1 January to 31 December 2000 Number of prison officer grades on long-term sickness leave Feltham 51 37 Other young offender institutions in south-east of England 80 92 Percentage of prison officer grades on h long-term sickness leave Feltham 15.0 9.6 Other young offender institutions in south-east of England 14.1 16.0
§ 26. Mr. LuffTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Association of Chief Police Officers about the enforcement of a ban on hunting with dogs; and if he will make a statement. [147115]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe views of the Association of Chief Police Officers were sought during the process of drafting the Hunting Bill. The association was concerned primarily about the need for the police to be given an explicit power of arrest to enforce a ban and for the option which introduced a scheme of licensing.
The association has informed the Home Office that it considers that it is too early to provide a final view on the resource implications of any ban on hunting, or of the other options that were in the Bill. However, if hunting were to be banned it does not anticipate a significant additional burden on the service over its current commitment.