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Crime Detection Rate
11. Mr. David Amess (Southend, West): What recent representations he has received on the rate of crime detection in the United Kingdom. [69115]
The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Jack Straw): We regularly receive representations from hon. Members, members of the public and others about crime issues, including the detection rate.
Mr. Amess: Is the Home Secretary aware that fewer crimes than ever will be detected in Essex as a result of the wholly inadequate funding provided by the Government? Why did the Home Secretary give Essex one of the worst four settlements in the country--an increase of only 1.7 per cent., effectively a cut of £7 million--especially in the light of the extra burdens, costing £1 million, caused by the four extra bank holidays? Why has he got it in for Essex, the very county that was responsible for educating him? Will he pull himself together and give Essex the tools to be tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime?
Mr. Straw: I hope that the hon. Gentleman feels better for that rant. Calmly, as an Essex man, I shall give him a few facts which are contrary to his assertions. His claim about Essex's alleged underfunding is wrong. Essex received an increase of 2.9 per cent., which is above, not below, the rate of inflation. Also, there is absolutely no warrant for his claim that, as a result, Essex police officers will detect fewer crimes.
I am astonished that Conservative Members should seek to excuse inefficiency in the police service alone of all public services. When we were in opposition,
Conservatives often--quite rightly--lectured us on the need to secure efficiency in health, education and other local authority services. When one or two of my hon. Friends ill-advisedly went around suggesting that there were to be large cuts in staff and therefore in the outputs and efficiencies as a result of the dreadful Tory cuts, Conservative Ministers were rightly sceptical, and some of us on the Opposition Front Bench used to squirm with embarrassment at the extravagance of the claims made by those behind us.
The same efficiency disciplines must apply to the police service as apply to every other public service, especially against a background in which, as the Audit Commission pointed out in its latest assessment of key performance indicators, it is the police service which, year on year, has had real-terms increases in its inputs, although there is no necessary correlation between the amount of money allocated and the clear-up rates or detection of crime. The police's agenda must now be to raise the level of all services to that of the best.
Mr. Peter L. Pike (Burnley):
I must tell my right hon. Friend that I have a more than particular interest in this matter today, having had my constituency office broken into last night. We talk about the detection rate, but what about the rate of crime reported to the police? Are not many crimes not reported because people feel that there is little point in doing so as nothing will happen?
Mr. Straw:
The level of the recording of crime varies considerably as between the types of crime. There is a pretty high level of recording of domestic burglary and of thefts of motor vehicles, not least because many of the items stolen are of high value, and there are insurance consequences of not reporting such thefts. There are relatively low levels of reporting of, for example, theft from cars, as opposed to theft of cars. Overall, the evidence from the British crime survey, which assesses total levels of crime, suggests that the reporting of crimes has increased as people have more confidence in the police to solve those crimes.
12. Mr. Gordon Prentice (Pendle):
What is the annual cost of keeping a category A inmate in prison. [69116]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. George Howarth):
The average annual operating cost per place for 1997-98 in the five dispersal prisons which house the majority of category A prisoners was £38,100, excluding any Prison Service headquarters expenditure. There were 854 category A prisoners on 31 December last.
Mr. Prentice:
Does not that figure simply take one's breath away--£38,000 a year each to keep just over 600 category A prisoners? [Interruption.] It costs £23,000 a year to keep every ordinary prisoner in gaol. The hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) should listen to this because it was under his Government that crime doubled, which led to the explosion in the prison population. Given that this is a Government of targets, does my hon. Friend have a target for bringing the prison population down to more manageable levels? As we are about to consider adding to that population 2,700 people
Mr. Howarth:
My hon. Friend is well aware that it is not the Home Office or Ministers who convict people and give custodial sentences but the courts. Our job, and that of Parliament, is to ensure that the legal framework is correct so that the courts can operate effectively. The important task is getting the rate of crime down so that courts do not have to have recourse to custodial sentences. In all places and at all times, there will be a need for some type of prison system, but if we can start to defeat crime, the number of people convicted and given custodial sentences will inevitably fall. That is what we have tried to achieve through the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and what all our legislative attention will go on in the coming period. It is right for everyone to get crime down. I am sure that the whole House accepts that and will support our legislation.
13. Dr. Norman A. Godman (Greenock and Inverclyde):
What steps he is taking to speed up the asylum appeals system. [69117]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Mike O'Brien):
The Immigration Asylum Bill will introduce reforms to the appeal system to reduce opportunity for frivolous appeals. Our target is to have appeals processed within four months.
Dr. Godman:
My compliments to the Minister for that answer. Is he aware that, in Scotland, fully 30 per cent. of all cases involving immigration appellants are handled by the Scottish Refugee Council, a charitable body that receives no public funding for that legal work? What steps will he take to ensure that such appellants receive legal representation in the courts or will he suggest that this might be a matter for the Scottish Parliament?
Mr. O'Brien:
It may or may not be, but we want to ensure that, where possible, those who need legal representation are legally represented. The Refugee Council in England and Wales receives some public funding. It will be a matter for others in due course to review the position of the Scottish Refugee Council. We need to ensure that the legal aid system and the grants issued under section 23 of the Immigration Act 1971, which are given by the Home Office, can respond to the demands on them. We are examining that to ensure that, as far as possible, they can.
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove):
In answer to the hon. Member for Harrow, East (Mr. McNulty), the Minister said that 8,000 would-be asylum seekers had been found in the backs of lorries. Can he confirm that they have all been deported after being found illegally entering the United Kingdom? If not, how many have been deported?
Mr. O'Brien:
I suspect that, under the system that we inherited and under which we still operate, very few have been deported. We inherited substantial backlogs. It takes
14. Mr. John Gunnell (Morley and Rothwell):
What steps he proposes to take to ensure that new support arrangements for asylum seekers reduce the incentive for economic migrants. [69119]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Mike O'Brien):
Cash payments to asylum seekers provide a strong incentive for economic migrants. As a disincentive to economic migration, we have therefore decided that support for asylum seekers in real need should be in kind rather than in cash. However, we are speeding up the decision-making process so that genuine refugees should be on the system for only a very short time.
Mr. Gunnell:
I welcome the fact that we are continuing to receive genuine refugees. I also welcome the Minister's reply. Inevitably, there will still be residual costs. Can he assure me that the matter has been discussed with receiving authorities such as Leeds and that a disproportionate share of the costs will not fall on council tax payers?
Mr. O'Brien:
As a result of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996, an enormous burden was placed on local authorities which was not really intended. As part of our reform, we aim to introduce a national system, with a national agency which will take responsibility for the support and accommodation of asylum seekers. Obviously, we will be working very closely with local authorities, to try to ensure, so far as we can, that they are able to recover moneys from national sources, which is where the responsibility should lie. As far as I am able, I give my hon. Friend the reassurance that he seeks. The system that we are trying to create will put most of the burden where it belongs: with the national Government.
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