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Tax Credits
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households have been taken off (a) Housing Benefit and (b) Council Tax Benefit as a consequence of Working Families Tax Credit and Disabled Persons Tax Credit in (i) the UK and (ii) each region. [125415]
Angela Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested as the most recent available data for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit relate to August 1999, which is prior to the introduction of the Working Families Tax Credit.
However, we estimate that the introduction of Working Families Tax Credit will move about 90,000 claimants off Housing Benefit in Great Britain in 2000-01, with similar numbers moving off Council Tax Benefit.
Estimates for the effects of the Working Families Tax Credit are based on the Family Resources Survey. This does not have an adequate sample size to produce corresponding estimates for Disabled Persons Tax Credit, since only a small number of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit recipients also received Disability Working Allowance. The reduction in the number of
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recipients of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit as a result of the introduction of the Disabled Persons Tax Credit is, however, likely to be small.
Regional estimates of the effect of Working Families Tax Credit are not available owing to the small sample sizes in the Family Resources Survey when analysed at a regional level.
Housing Benefit (Chelmsford)
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the national guidelines are for the time a local authority should take to process a Housing Benefit application; and what is the average time it is taking in the Chelmsford local authority area. [126022]
Angela Eagle: Under regulation 76 of the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987, where a local authority has received sufficient information to determine a claim, it must make the determination within 14 days of receipt of that information or as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter.
Under the Best Value regime introduced from April 2000, local authorities are required to submit data on the average length of time taken to determine claims. Previously, information was collected on the percentage of claims determined within 14 days. Between 1 April 1998 and 31 March 1999, the latest period for which data are available, Chelmsford Borough Council determined 48 per cent. of all Housing Benefit claims within 14 days.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Metropolitan Police
Mrs. Gordon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to publish full-year data for the performance of the Metropolitan police in relation to its policing plan for 1999-2000. [126743]
Mr. Straw: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis included performance data for the first 11 months of the last financial year, and projected performance in its final month, in his Policing and Performance Plan for 2000-01 which he published on 31 March, on the Metropolitan police website http://www.met.police.uk.
The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that he expects to publish a hard-copy version of the Plan on 21 June. This will include full-year performance data for 1999-2000. These data confirm, I understand, the provisional out-turns included in the version of the Plan published on 31 March.
It may benefit right hon. and hon. Members, in particular those preparing to take part in the debate on the policing of London which, subject to the demands of business, we hope the House will be able to hold before the end of this month, to have early sight of the hard-copy version of the Plan. I am, therefore, today placing proof copies of the Plan in the Vote Office, and in the Library.
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Robbery
Ms McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional support he intends to provide to the police service for reducing robbery. [126776]
Mr. Straw: I am announcing today the allocation of £20 million additional resources for tackling robbery in the five metropolitan areas in which 70 per cent. of all robberies take place, and for which challenging targets have been set for the police forces concerned by their respective police authorities. The £20 million forms part of the £91 million which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer allocated in the Budget for additional measures to support the delivery of crime reduction.
The specific amounts being made available are:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan police | 9.1 |
| West Midlands | 3.3 |
| Greater Manchester | 3.2 |
| West Yorkshire | 2.6 |
| Merseyside | 1.8 |
The five forces will now be drawing up plans to achieve early reductions in robbery levels.
Rural Policing
Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional support he intends to provide to the police service for addressing rural crime. [126777]
Mr. Straw: I am announcing today that £15 million of the £91 million for police modernisation will be used to meet the special needs of rural policing. We are discussing with the police service how this money is to be allocated to improve performance. In particular, we will be discussing a national standard response time for emergency calls in rural areas. Additional funding for future years will be considered as part of the Spending Review 2000 process.
Hunting With Hounds
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the additional police numbers that will be needed in rural areas to enforce legislation banning hunting with dogs. [126091]
Mr. Charles Clarke: We will be consulting with the police on the implications to them of the legislative options contained in the proposed Bill on hunting with dogs.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost of compensation (a) per person on average and (b) in total for loss of livelihood if hunting with dogs is made illegal. [126092]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The consequences of the provisions of the proposed Bill on hunting with dogs will be considered as legislative options are drawn up.
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Police Pensions
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many certificates to forfeit police pensions have been issued in the last 10 years. [125994]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Secretary of State for the Home Department has issued 24 certificates to forfeit police pensions in the last 10 years.
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what specific offences have led to the issue of certificates to forfeit police pensions on the basis that the offence in question was determined to be liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service during the last five years. [125993]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The following offences have led to the issue of certificates to forfeit police pensions on the basis that the offence in question was determined to be liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service during the last five years:
- Attempting to pervert the course of justice
- Blackmail
- Conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office
- Conspiracy to defraud a building society
- Conspiracy to pervert the course of justice
- Conspiracy to, and/or, supply of a controlled drug, Class B cannabis resin
- Corruption
- Deception
- Dishonesty
- Indecent assault
- Importation of controlled drugs
- Murder
- Perverting the course of justice/dangerous driving
- Theft
- Theft by deception
- Using a false instrument
Drug Testing
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the drugs that he proposes to include in the mandatory drug testing for offenders under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Bill. [125996]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Initially it is proposed to test specifically for heroin and crack/cocaine, which research has shown to have a particularly strong connection with acquisitive crime. The Bill provides for the Secretary of State to specify, by order, the Class A drugs applicable. Consideration will be given to including other Class A drugs in the testing programme if research evidence demonstrates a similar link to the commissioning of crime.
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Drugs Misuse
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs is expected to report on the Police Foundation's inquiry into the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. [125995]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Further to the reply I gave my hon. Friend on 8 May 2000, Official Report, column 298W, I understand that the Advisory Council had a short discussion on the Police Foundation's Report at its meeting on 25 May. The Council noted that the Government had made it clear that they were not persuaded that the classification or overall legal framework for LSD, ecstasy or cannabis should be changed, but would be giving careful consideration to the other recommendations arising from the Police Foundation's Inquiry.
The Council also noted that the United Kingdom Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator, Keith Hellawell, is to chair an inter-departmental working group to consider the other recommendations of the Police Foundation Inquiry's Report. I understand that the working group plans to provide a progress report to Ministers later this summer. It is not possible to speculate at this stage whether the consideration by the inter-departmental working group will lead the Government to seek the views of the Advisory Council on any of the recommendations being considered. However, under provisions in the misuse of drugs legislation, the Advisory Council would need to be consulted on any proposed amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
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