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Crime Prevention
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current level of Government spending on crime prevention. [22693]
Mr. Maclean: Expenditure on crime prevention activities across Government in 1994-95--the latest period for which figures are available--was approximately £260 million, an 8 per cent. increase on the previous year.
Identity Cards
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of departmental expenditure on identity card schemes in 1996-97; and if he will make a statement [22695]
Mr. Sackville: We have yet to take a final decision on whether an identity card should be introduced. Accordingly, no provision has been made in current estimates of expenditure for 1996-97 to cover the cost of such a scheme.
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Police Officers
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the annual cost of providing 3,000 additional police officers. [22694]
Mr. Maclean: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael) on 5 December 1995, Official Report, column 205.
The estimated additional cost of 3,000 extra police constables in 1997-98 is £60 million, which the Government have promised to make available.
Metropolitan Police
Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received the Metropolitan police committee's advice on proposed objectives for the Metropolitan police in 1996-97; and if he will make a statement. [23239]
Mr. Howard: Yes. Following consultation with the chairman of the Metropolitan police committee and the commissioner, I have approved the following objectives for the Metropolitan police in 1996-97:
(i) To improve performance against robbery, in particular:
(a) to achieve a detection rate for street crime of at least 15 per cent.;
(b) to increase the detection rate for robbery of business property to 20 per cent.;
(ii) To improve performance against burglary by achieving a detection rate for burglary of at least 20 per cent.
(iii) To reduce the supply of illegal drugs and the demand for them, including a specific target to increase the number of detections for the production of, supply of, and intent to supply controlled drugs by at least 10 per cent;
(iv) To provide high visibility policing so as to reassure the public, including a specific target to recruit 800 new special constables;
(v) To deliver the standards defined in the Metropolitan police service charter;
(vi) To improve performance against crime by achieving a detection rate for notifiable offences of at least 20 per cent.
These objectives and details of how to address the Government's key objectives for policing are set out in the Metropolitan police policing plan 1996-97, which the commissioner is issuing with my approval. I am sending copies of all right hon. and hon. Members whose constituencies fall wholly or partly within the Metropolitan police district, and I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Library.
Mr. Ian Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Justice and Home Affairs Council held on 19 and 20 March. [23240]
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Mr. Howard:
I represented the United Kingdom at the Council. The main matters dealt with at the meeting were as follows.
The Council agreed as "A" points, among other things, a recommendation on football hooliganism which followed an initiative proposed by the United Kingdom, and a joint action on the exchange of liaison magistrates between member states of the European Union.
The Council reached political agreement on a joint action on racism and xenophobia. The effect of the new measure will be to strengthen judicial co-operation between the member states in combating racist or xenophobic acts committed within the European Union.
The Council agreed the financial regulation relating to the budget for Europol, and considered briefly the question of whether the European Court of Justice should be given jurisdiction to interpret the Europol convention.
The presidency reported progress in negotiations on the draft external frontiers convention, and concluded that officials should continue work on developing the draft instrument.
The Council considered a draft multi-annual work programme, providing a framework for action in the third pillar, to be taken forward by several presidencies. A further version of the programme will be prepared in the light of discussion, for adoption at the Justice and Home Affairs Council in June.
The Council discussed proposals for areas of activity in the third pillar, which should be funded from the 1996 Community budget, and agreed that the issue should be examined further by officials.
The Council discussed a number of outstanding issues arising from negotiations on the draft convention on simplified extradition procedures. The presidency hoped that a final text of the contention would be ready to be adopted by the Council in June.
The Council noted progress on the draft convention on corruption, and agreed that work on the text should continue with a view to its being submitted for adoption by the Council in June.
The Council agreed that work should proceed on a draft convention on service of judicial documents within the European Union. The purpose of the convention would be to relieve delays in some member states in effecting
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service of process under the 1965 Hague convention on the service abroad of judicial and extra-judicial documents.
The presidency reported on a recent European Union seminar in Rome on fundamentalist terrorism. The Council reaffirmed its commitment to co-operation between the member states in the fight against terrorism.
The presidency reported to the Council on recent discussions in Oslo between the European Union and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on the repatriation of refugees form the former Yugoslavia, and on a meeting in Rome with Andean pact countries which considered issues relating to illegal trafficking in drugs.
On the second day of the Council, member states' representatives met their counterparts from the central and eastern European states and Cyprus and Malta to continue the pre-accession structure dialogue with those countries on justice and home affairs.
Miss Emma Nicholson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what consultation he has had with ministerial colleagues about the activities of Mr. Omar al Hassan; and if he will make a statement; [17858]
Mr. Howard
[holding answers 28 February 1996]: It is not the practice to comment on discussions which may or may not have taken place with ministerial colleagues and I am not prepared to comment on speculative inquiries about the alleged activities of individuals.
Mr. David Nicholson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parish special constables are now in place, and in which counties or police areas; how many he expects to be in place by 30 June 1996; and if he will make a statement. [9710]
Mr. Maclean
[pursuant to his reply, 18 January 1996, c. 710-11]: The figure for the number of neighbourhood special constables attached to Norfolk constabulary should be 16, not 324 as reported. The total for all forces should therefore read 1,295. I apologise for the error, which occurred as a result of a misunderstanding between Norfolk constabulary and the Home Office.
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Mr. David Shaw:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what amounts of money have been paid out by (a) his Department and (b) executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and other organisations for which he is accountable to Parliament, to how many staff or former staff in respect of (i) alleged equal opportunities breaches which do not proceed to tribunals or courts and (ii) equal opportunities breaches which proceeded to tribunals or courts in (1) the current year and (2) the two previous years. [22517]
Mr. Willetts:
The Departments, agencies and other bodies for which my right hon. Friend is responsible
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paid £51,000 in 1996 in out-of-court settlements of two cases of alleged breaches involving former members of staff.
Mr. Ian McCartney:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the cost and number of items of equipment and furniture that (a) have been stolen and (b) are otherwise unaccounted for from the Office of Public Service and its agencies in each of the past five years, listing by name any such items valued at £5,000 or more, and showing information technology material separately. [21704]
Mr. Willetts:
Details of the cost and, where known, the number of items of equipment and furniture recorded as having being stolen or otherwise unaccounted for from the Cabinet Office, including the Office of Public Service, and its agencies are as follows:
26 Mar 1996 : Column: 503
(2) what investigations have been carried out into the activities of Mr. Omar al Hassan in respect of financial transfers from Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [17859]
| 1990-91 | 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial year accounting | IT material No.£ | Other items No.£ | IT material No.£ | Other items No.£ | IT material No.£ | Other items No.£ | IT material No.£ | Other items No.£ |
| (a) Stolen | ||||||||
| Cabinet Office (incl OPS) | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | 411,000 | ---- | 64,021 | ---- |
| RAS | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| OHSA | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| CSCollege | ---- | ---- | ---- | 52,250 | 2236,362 | 52,769 | ---- | 5781 |
| Chessington | 1126 | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| SAFE1 | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| TBA | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| COI | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| Total (stolen) | 1126 | 00 | 00 | 52,250 | 2647,362 | 52,769 | 64,021 | 5781 |
1 The stolen IT items relating to each year for both SAFE and HMSO relate to stolen computer chips, the exact number of which is not available from current records.
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| 1994-95 | 1995-96 | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IT material | Other items | IT material | Other items | IT material | Other items | |||||||
| Financial year accounting | No. | £ | No. | £ | No. | £ | No. | £ | No. | £ | No. | £ |
| (a) Stolen Cabinet Office (including OPS) | 5 | 6,975 | 6 | 525 | -- | -- | 7 | 2,029 | 15 | 21,996 | 13 | 2,554 |
| RAS | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1,845 | -- | -- | 1 | 1,845 | -- | -- |
| OHSA | 2 | 3,000 | 1 | 200 | 1 | 500 | -- | -- | 3 | 3,500 | 1 | 200 |
| CS College | -- | -- | -- | -- | 21 | 6,188 | -- | -- | 43 | 42,550 | 15 | 5,800 |
| Chessington | 2 | 1,680 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 1,680 | -- | -- |
| SAFE(7) | -- | 7,000 | -- | -- | -- | 8,000 | -- | -- | -- | 15,000 | -- | -- |
| TBA | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1,000 | -- | -- | 1 | 1,000 | -- | -- |
| COI | 3 | 5,000 | -- | -- | 33 | 9,690 | -- | -- | 36 | 14,690 | -- | -- |
| Total (stolen) | 12 | 23,655 | 7 | 725 | 57 | 27,223 | 7 | 2,029 | 101 | 102,261 | 29 | 8,554 |
(7) The stolen IT items relating to each year for both SAFE and HMSO relate to stolen computer chips, the exact number of which is not available from current records.
26 Mar 1996 : Column: 503
| 1990-91 | 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IT material No.£ | Other items No.£ | IT material No.£ | Other items No.£ | IT material No.£ | Other items No.£ | IT material No.£ | Other items No.£ | |
| (b) Unaccounted for | ||||||||
| Cabinet Office (incl OPS) | ---- | ---- | ---- | 120 | ---- | 1800 | ---- | ---- |
| RAS | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | 1015,509 | ---- |
| OHSA | ---- | 1686 | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| CSCollege | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| Chessington | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| SAFE | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| TBA | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| COI | ---- | ---- | 12864 | ---- | 11,441 | ---- | 3276 | ---- |
| Total (stolen) | 00 | 1686 | 12864 | 120 | 11,441 | 1800 | 1315,785 | 00 |
26 Mar 1996 : Column: 505
| 1994-95 | 1995-96 | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IT Material | Other items | IT material | Other items | IT Material | Other items | |||||||
| Total (stolen) | Number | £ | Number | £ | Number | £ | Number | £ | Number | £ | Number | £ |
| (b) Unaccounted for | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Cabinet Office (incl OPS) | -- | -- | 2 | 210 | -- | -- | 1 | 90 | -- | -- | 5 | 1,120 |
| RAS | 4 | 1,597 | -- | -- | 4 | 3,265 | -- | -- | 18 | 20,371 | -- | -- |
| OHSA | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| CS College | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6 | 4,089 | -- | -- | 6 | 4,089 | -- | -- |
| Chessington | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| SAFE | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| TBA | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| COI | 4 | 1,549 | -- | -- | 11 | 386 | -- | -- | 31 | 4,516 | -- | -- |
| Total (unaccounted) | 8 | 3,146 | 2 | 210 | 21 | 7,740 | 1 | 90 | 55 | 28,976 | 5 | 1,120 |
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| 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IT material | Other items | IT Material | Other items | IT material | Other items | IT material | Other items | |
| Calender year accounting | ||||||||
| HMSO (8), (8) (a) Stolen | 9,500 | 0 | 6,050 | 0 | 51,000 | 0 | 66,550 | 0 |
(8) The stolen IT items relating to each year for both SAFE and HMSO relate to stolen computer chips, the exact number of which is not available from current records.
(9) HMSO have no items otherwise unaccounted for.
26 Mar 1996 : Column: 505
26 Mar 1996 : Column: 505
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