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Kate Hoey: I thank my hon. Friend. We are committed to a voluntary scheme. Clearly, compulsory steps requiring employees in the criminal justice system to disclose freemasonry membership will be introduced only if a review of the voluntary register arrangements show that they have not been effective.
Mr. Tim Boswell (Daventry): I can assure the House that I have absolutely no direct interest in the matter, but will the Minister reflect on the unwisdom of singling out any particular group that happens to be a minority, because the principle could be extended to other minorities in terms of the practice of their religion, to ethnic minorities, or, in extremis, even to old Labour?
Kate Hoey: As the hon. Gentleman is aware, there is a perception that any secret organisation might have something to hide. Clearly, it is in the interests of the criminal justice system to be open and accountable. The voluntary way forward--voluntary registers--has so far received support from all the chief constables and is the right way forward. I do not think that anyone is suggesting that, just because someone registers membership of an organisation, it in any way implies that that person has done something wrong.
Car Crime
10. Mr. Andrew Dismore (Hendon): What measures he proposes to introduce to reduce car crime. [61099]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Paul Boateng): The Government regard vehicle crime as a very serious matter; after all, it amounts to about 24 per cent. of all reported crime. On 29 September, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced a national target, aimed at delivering a 30 per cent. reduction in vehicle crime over the next five years. To achieve that, we have recently established a ministerial task force, the vehicle crime reduction action team.
Mr. Dismore: Does my hon. Friend welcome, as I do, the work of Barnet motor project, which is based in the Peel centre in my constituency? The project has been working with young offenders and those thought to be at risk of offending, channelling their enthusiasm for the motor vehicle into more constructive work--for example, by teaching them to drive and service vehicles off road. Does my hon. Friend agree that that is a constructive and useful way of tackling motor crime?
Mr. Boateng: It is certainly one of a range of activities in which young people can be engaged so as to get them to recognise the implications of motor vehicle crime, both for themselves and, more important, for the general public. It is a real mischief with which the Government are determined to get to grips. Our challenging but achievable target is an indication of our seriousness.
Surrey Police
12. Mr. Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath): What representations he has had from Surrey police force regarding funding for expected manpower levels over the next three years. [61101]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Paul Boateng): We have received representations from the chairman and the treasurer of Surrey police authority about the funding of the Surrey police. The provisional police funding settlement for England and Wales in 1999-2000 will be announced later this week.
The proposed boundary changes between the Surrey police and the Metropolitan police in April 2000 will result in some transitional costs for the police authority next year. We are considering its bid for extra funding to help meet those costs.
Mr. Hawkins:
I am grateful to the Minister for indicating that that matter is under consideration, but, when examining the overall funding position of police authorities such as Surrey, as well as the funding position of the national crime squad and the national criminal intelligence service, he will be aware that value added tax and the ability to reclaim it are currently a big issue. I see the Home Secretary nodding; will the Minister confirm that that issue will be carefully looked into? We do not want our police forces to be handicapped by being less able to reclaim VAT, with the result that there is less money for police officers on the beat, which is what concerns all our constituents.
Mr. Boateng:
Only last week, I met our former colleague Sir John Wheeler regarding the matter. He is
13. Mr. David Chaytor (Bury, North):
What representations he has received on the proposals for divorce information meetings contained in his consultation paper "Supporting Families". [61102]
The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Jack Straw):
The consultation period on the document "Supporting Families" is due to run to 31 January next year. Once the consultation period has ended, the responses will be analysed. However, none of the responses received so far has focused specifically on the proposals for divorce information meetings, the policy concerning which is a matter for my right hon. and noble Friend the Lord Chancellor.
Mr. Chaytor:
I thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. Will he tell the House how he intends to evaluate the pilot schemes that are currently being undertaken in that respect? Does he agree that the proposals in the consultation document run the risk of setting up a series of hurdles through which divorcing couples will have to run? There will have to be one meeting for couples by themselves; a second, for individuals, to obtain information about the divorce process; and a third, a meeting of groups of people, to get information about the property and financial implications. Is that not overkill in terms of advice and provision of information?
Mr. Straw:
The points that my hon. Friend raises are important in considering which way we go forward on that difficult issue. On the one hand, there is the view that divorce should be considered to be an entirely private matter, in which there should be no encouragement to mediation by the state or by anybody else; on the other, because children are almost always involved in divorce cases, there is a public interest. Trying to find a way through that will be difficult; it is difficult for this Government, and it was difficult for the previous Government, but we hope that some improved arrangements will emerge from the consultation.
14. Maria Eagle (Liverpool, Garston):
What plans he has to make police authority members more accountable. [61103]
The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Jack Straw):
I have no plans at present to change the arrangements for police authorities. The majority of members on each authority are councillors who are democratically accountable to local people. Any member of a police authority may also be required to attend council meetings to answer questions about the conduct of police authority business.
Maria Eagle:
My right hon. Friend is aware of a recent controversy involving Merseyside police authority, which has managed to appoint a new chief constable without its
Mr. Straw:
Of course I am aware of the controversy which has surrounded the appointment of the chief constable of Merseyside, but I want to make it clear in the House, as I have done already outside the House, that Mr. Norman Bettison was appointed in accordance with the standard procedures. His nomination was approved by the then Minister of State--my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales--and by me; he got the job fair and square; and he has my full confidence.
15. Dr. Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak):
If he will make a statement on the licensing of door supervisors. [61104]
The Minister of State, Home Department (Mr. Paul Boateng):
We are committed to introducing statutory regulation of the whole of the private security industry, including door supervisors. As we suggested in opposition, there is no time for legislation on this issue early in our term of office. In the meantime, we are working with the industry and others to draw up firm proposals for comprehensive, effective and streamlined regulation of the whole of the private security industry. The consultation exercise was completed last year to inform that process. We are reflecting on the outcome, and hope to be able to announce our proposals for regulation shortly.
Dr. Jones:
I thank my hon. Friend for that reply, but he will be aware from the endorsement in the foreword by the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Knowsley, North and Sefton, East (Mr. Howarth), that the code of practice produced recently by the British Entertainment and Discotheque Association, the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Local Government Association called for the registration of door supervisors to be put on a statutory basis as a matter of urgency. They say that that is the best way of tackling drug-related crime in night clubs. In view of their call for urgency, and the fact that the comprehensive legislation proposed by the Government is not imminent, will my hon. Friend consider extending to other areas the current provisions in the London Local Authorities Act 1996?
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