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Anti-social Behaviour Orders

29. Mr. McWalter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the causes of the low take-up of anti-social behaviour orders. [121560]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Records of the number of orders granted are not currently held centrally, although we believe that about 40-45 orders are currently in force. The number of orders in force has been increasing steadily and continues to do so. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary set up an action group last year to consider issues relating to the use of anti-social behaviour orders. The group recommended a series of 10 regional seminars to provide an opportunity to share good practice, and to consult on the terms of a model agreement or protocol which local partnerships can use as a basis for effective co-operation in tackling anti-social behaviour. The seminars have now been successfully completed and I look forward to a further increase in the number of orders granted.

32. Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders under the provisions of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 have been issued against persons under the age of 16 years. [121563]

Mr. Charles Clarke: As I stated in my reply to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Mr. Hawkins) on 21 February 2000, Official Report, column 824W, records of the numbers of anti-social behaviour orders issued are not currently held centrally. We understand that since the relevant provision came into force on 1 April 1999, at least 13 anti-social behaviour orders have been in respect of persons aged under 16.

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been implemented in the Greater London area in the last 12 months. [122369]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Figures for the number of orders granted are not yet held centrally. We are, however, aware of one order currently in force in the Greater London area.

Mr. Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the Government's anti-social behaviour strategy in (a) England (b) the North West region and (c) the area covered by the Greater Manchester Police Authority; and if he will make a statement. [122574]

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Mr. Charles Clarke: We will be reviewing the effectiveness of anti-social behaviour orders early next year.

Police Racism

30. Mr. Casale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about progress in tackling racism in the police force. [121561]

Mr. Straw: In February, I published my first annual report on progress of the implementation of my action plan to take forward the recommendations of the report of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, a copy of which is in the Library. I was able to report that over half of the report's 70 recommendations had already been implemented and work was under way on the others. The Bill to extend the Race Relations Act 1976 to the police and other public authorities was introduced in December 1999. I have set targets for forces on recruitment, retention and progression of ethnic minority officers. In addition, a research programme to broaden the understanding of stop and search and the way it can be improved is currently well advanced. I have made increasing trust and confidence in policing among minority ethnic communities one of just two ministerial priorities for the current year.

Disorder (Parliament Square and Whitehall)

31. Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been charged with offences in connection with the disorder in Parliament Square and Whitehall on 1 May; how many have been charged with criminal damage to (a) the Cenotaph and (b) the statue of Sir Winston Churchill; and if he will make a statement. [121562]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Metropolitan police advise me that 51 persons have been charged so far in relation to the disorder in London on 1 May. In addition, seven people have been given a caution or formal warning.

No person has yet been charged in connection with damage to the Cenotaph, but one person has been charged and convicted of criminal damage to the Sir Winston Churchill statue. He received a sentence of 30 days imprisonment and a compensation order of £250.

Female Circumcision

33. Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning training for police officers for the policing of the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985. [121564]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The only representations on this subject were parliamentary questions from my hon. Friend the Member for Calder Valley (Ms McCafferty), which I replied to on 18 April 2000, Official Report, column 421W and on 17 May 2000, Official Report, columns 171-72W.

Hilda Murrell Case

35. Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 14 April 2000, Official Report, column 292W, concerning the Hilda Murrell case, what options are being examined in

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the discussions with the forensic science service Major Crime Specialist Adviser on the strategic way ahead; and if he will make a statement on the use of second generation multiplan plus and low copy number systems. [121566]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I understand that advice has now been received from the Major Crime Specialist Adviser, but that to disclose its nature could reduce the chances of a successful outcome to the investigation. I shall write to my hon. Friend about the forensic techniques mentioned.

Anti-drugs Strategy

36. Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his measures against drug dealers; and if he will make a statement. [121567]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Activity aimed at stifling the availability of illegal drugs on our streets is set out in the Government's 10-year anti-drugs strategy for which demanding targets have been set in the United Kingdom Anti-drugs Co-ordinator's National Plan. The police, with other enforcement agencies, have been working towards achieving these and interim targets. The United Kingdom Anti-drugs Co-ordinator will report on progress in his second annual report, to be published in the summer.

The "Drug Seizure and Offender Statistics Bulletin", published in February, reports that the overall number of seizures in the United Kingdom went up by 8 per cent. in 1998 to 149,900. The number of persons found guilty of, or cautioned for, offences of unlawful supply and of possession with intent to supply, totalled 16,246.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

37. Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets he has set for the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to respond to hon. Members' correspondence. [121568]

Mrs. Roche: The Home Office Public Service Agreement commits the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to reply to 95 per cent. of correspondence from hon. Members within 15 working days.

Neighbourhood Watch

38. Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support his Department currently gives to neighbourhood watch schemes. [121569]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The Home Office does not provide core funding for neighbourhood watch. Rather, we direct funding towards national initiatives designed to support and encourage the local activity. We also support the National Neighbourhood Watch Association in its efforts to promote increased involvement in neighbourhood watch.

Drug-related Crime

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the increase in the number of crimes in the last year which were related to illegal drugs. [121556]

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Mr. Charles Clarke: The statistical data are collected on drug offences but not on other offences which may have been committed due to drug taking. In the 12 months ending September 1999, the police in England and Wales recorded 129,782 notifiable drug offences, a decrease of 9.2 per cent. on the corresponding period in the previous year.

A programme of research carried out on behalf of the Home Office by the University of Cambridge, involving the drug testing of arrestees, indicates a strong connection between drug misuse, particularly heroin and crack/cocaine, and crime. The research suggests that about one third of all property crime is committed in order to buy these drugs. Further data are being analysed and it is hoped to publish the next set of full results in the summer.

Humberside Police

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Humberside police's bid for funding for extra officers from the Crime Fighting Fund. [121936]

Mr. Charles Clarke: I refer the hon. Member to the announcement I made on 17 May 2000, Official Report, columns 169-70W, which sets out details of the revised distribution of the 5,000 recruits under the Crime Fighting Fund for all forces in England and Wales.

Humberside police bid for 251 officers and were allocated a total of 74 officers. Although the total number of officers has not changed, the accelerated scheme will enable Humberside to recruit 47 extra officers under the scheme this year and 27 next year.

The Humberside police bid was considered most carefully, as were all the bids. 4,000 of the 5,000 officers were allocated between forces using the Police Grant and Standard Spending Assessment formula, which included an additional 2 per cent. sparsity factor to benefit forces such as Humberside that cover rural as well as urban areas. The remaining 1,000 officers were divided between the 34 forces putting in the best bids.

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