§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many investigations have been conducted by the North Yorkshire police in each of the last five years into(a)deaths and (b)violent incidents (i) at army barracks and (ii) involving military personnel associated with Catterick Barracks; and how many of these resulted in papers being sent to the Crown Prosecution Service. [176043]
§ Ms BlearsIn the last five years, North Yorkshire Police, on behalf of Her Majesty's Coroner, have been involved in the investigation of eight separate sudden deaths of military personnel at Catterick Garrison. The deaths occurred in 1999 (two sudden deaths), 2000 (two sudden deaths), 2001 (one sudden death), 2002 (two sudden deaths) and 2003 (one sudden death). None of these investigations were referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
In the same period, North Yorkshire Police have been involved in dealing with three violent incidents at Catterick Garrison that involved military personnel, of which one resulted in papers being submitted to the CPS. The incidents took place in 2000, 2002 and 2003.
To obtain the same information for the other army bases that are covered by North Yorkshire Police could be done only at a disproportionate cost.
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§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average response time of the North Yorkshire Police has been to incidents at Catterick Barracks in the last three years; and what rules govern the relations of civilian and military investigators. [176044]
§ Ms BlearsNorth Yorkshire Police advised that it would be improper to release figures for the Catterick Garrison area due to the sensitive nature of the garrison and potential terrorist threat. North Yorkshire Police, however, advised that they have an urban response time target of 15 minutes. For August 2002, their average urban response time was 9.4 minutes, for 2003–04 it was 16 minutes and for 2004 to date their average is 8.23 minutes. Their rural response target is 20 minutes and for the respective periods the average response times are 15.25 minutes, 15.5 minutes and 13.53 minutes.
The position under legislation is that both the civilian and military police in England and Wales are governed by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) and its Codes of Practice. Section 113 of the Act provides that:
… any provision of the Act which relates to investigations of offences conducted by police officers or to persons detained by the police shall apply, subject to such modifications as [the Secretary of State] may specify, to investigations of offences conducted under the Army Act 1957 …The rules which govern the relations of civilian and military investigators, are set out in:
Protocol between the Ministry of Defence police and Home Office police forces", Home Office Circular 17/1999Army Land Standing Order 3203Defence Council Instruction document of April 2003: The Reporting and Investigation of Criminal and other Disciplinary Offences in the Ministry Of Defence, Armed Forces and Defence estate in the UKThe Defence Policing Protocol", which outlines the protocol between the defence police forces.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the legal basis is of Association of Chief Police Officers guidelines on the investigation of deaths on Army property; and if he will place a copy of the guidelines in the Library. [176045]
§ Ms BlearsAt present, there are no Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) guidelines on the investigation of deaths on military property. An ACPO working party to look into deaths on military establishments has, however, been established.
ACPO guidelines have no statutory basis; they are guidelines for the Police Service.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances military authorities in the United Kingdom may deny police officers acting in performance of their duties access to Army premises. [176046]
§ Ms BlearsThere are no circumstances where military authorities may deny police officers who are acting in performance of their duty access to Army premises. If a police officer knows or has good reason to believe that a serious crime is being committed on army premises, he or she is entitled under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 to enter such premises with or without a warrant. The Military Police, who provide law 181W enforcement on army premises, have a good working relationship with the civilian police. The Military Police would investigate and deal with any of the less serious infringements of the law occurring on army bases, but would expect the civilian police to deal with any serious crime committed there.