---

Postal Workers Dispute

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the current postal workers dispute in London. [131422]

Mr. Alan Johnson: This is an operational matter for the Post Office.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the size of the backlog of delayed post caused by the current postal workers dispute in London. [131423]

Mr. Alan Johnson: None. This is an operational matter for the Post Office.

Insolvency Service

Mr. Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets he has set his Department's Insolvency Service Executive Agency for 2000-01. [131887]

Dr. Howells: The Insolvency Service's planning assumption is that compulsory insolvencies will total 26,500 in the year to 31 March 2001. On that basis and with the resources allocated to it, I have set the following performance targets:

To complete sufficient bankruptcy and compulsory liquidation case administrations so that the number of open current cases at 31 March 2001 are no more than 17,225 cases--that is, equivalent

19 Jul 2000 : Column: 177W

to no more than eight months of new case input; with no more than 5 per cent. of those cases being more than 36 months old;

To maintain in real terms the unit cost of administering bankruptcy and compulsory liquidation cases over the period 1999-2002 at the level of 1998-99, taking account of the additional shorter-term costs of its new IT infrastructure and the delivery of improvements in its services to users;

To reduce in real terms the unit cost of its investigation of bankruptcy and liquidation cases by 10 per cent. over the period 1999-2002, also taking account of the additional shorter-term costs of its new IT;

To continue to achieve the level of disqualification proceedings and orders against unfit directors as in 1999-2000;

To continue to submit reports of criminal misconduct at a level consistent with the Service's investigative caseload and resources;

To report to creditors on assets and liabilities within eight weeks in at least 97 per cent. of all cases: and within 12 weeks in 98 per cent. of all cases;

To hold the initial meetings of creditors within 12 weeks in 96 per cent. of all appropriate cases, and within four months in 98 per cent. of all appropriate cases;

To submit reports within 10 months in at least 90 per cent. of bankruptcy cases and at least 80 per cent. of compulsory liquidation cases where there is evidence of criminality;

To submit disqualification reports within 12 months in at least 65 per cent. of cases and within 15 months in at least 80 per cent. of cases where there is evidence of unfit conduct by directors; and

To check and action at least 97 per cent. of Insolvency Services Account payment requisitions within four days or by the due date.

The Service is expected to action 100 per cent. of invoices for payment within 30 days of receipt and the Agency Chief Executive is expected to reply within 10 days to all Members of Parliament delegated to him for reply.

I have asked the Agency Chief Executive to develop for 2001-02 and beyond one or more outcome-based targets for the Service's activities; and to review its quality of service performance in the light of its experience of its new IT infrastructure and the views of its users.

Sunbeds

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to ensure that the regulations relating to sunbeds and their use are reviewed; and if he will make a statement. [128334]

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.

There are no current plans to amend legislation as it applies to sunbeds and their use but the situation is kept under review.

The use of sunbeds is a matter of personal choice. However, people should be aware that their use entails exposure to ultraviolet radiation and that there is strong evidence that this is a cause of skin cancer.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Multi-agency Helpline

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will assess the benefits of the Audit Commission proposal for the creation of a

19 Jul 2000 : Column: 178W

multi-agency helpline to relieve pressure on the existing 999 emergency number; and if he will make a statement. [128533]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 5 July 2000]: I have asked officials, in consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers, to develop proposals for a new call handling strategy. Relieving pressure on the 999 service and using new technology to receive from and provide information to the public will be considered as part of that strategy.

Police Numbers

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total number of police officers and police civilian staff was (a) in England and Wales and (b) in each force on (i) 31 March 2000, (ii) 30 September 1999 and (iii) 31 March 1997; and if he will make a statement. [130027]

Mr. Straw: The information is set out in tables. At the end of March 2000, the total number of police officers in England and Wales was 124,418 and there were 53,227 civilian support staff in the police service. Table VI additionally compares the percentage change in police numbers over the 12 month period 31 March 1999 to 31 March 2000, against the percentage increase in police budgets for 1999-2000 in both cash and real terms.

A reduction in police numbers for March 2000 was forecast in the projections on police numbers in the reply my hon. Friend the Minister of State gave to the hon. Member on 15 March 2000, Official Report, columns 177-79W.

I have already announced my plans to reverse the decline in police numbers. The Crime Fighting Fund was intended to provide funding for the recruitment of 5,000 more officers--3,000 this year and 2,000 next, over and above the number that forces would have planned to recruit over the three years from April 2000. As a result of the Spending Review, we will be making funding available for the recruitment of a further 4,000 officers--making 9,000 in all. The additional 4,000 will come on stream in 2001-02 and 2002-03. So forces will be able to recruit up to a maximum of 3,000 this year, 3,000 next year and 3,000 in 2002-03.

Though numbers are important, tackling crime is more than a matter of police numbers. I am announcing today a major increase in resources for policing to boost police effectiveness. By 2003-04, annual funding will have increased by over 20 per cent.--£1.6 billion of which £1.3 billion is newly announced.

In my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Bradley) on 15 June 2000, Official Report, column 714W, I announced that £15 million had been earmarked from the Police Modernisation Fund this year to enhance the policing of rural areas. Allocation of this new money will be announced very shortly. This extra funding should contribute to a further increase in police numbers in the rural forces.

I am also stepping up efforts to tackle robbery with a cash boost this year from the Police Modernisation Fund. £20 million will be shared between the Metropolitan Police (£9.1 million), West Midlands Police (£3.3 million), Greater Manchester Police (£3.2 million), West Yorkshire

19 Jul 2000 : Column: 179W

Police (£2.6 million) and Merseyside Police (£1.8 million). This additional funding will help these forces fund and develop additional initiatives to tackle robbery in their areas.

The Government's £400 million Crime Reduction Programme, too, has expanded rapidly. The Programme includes:

£153 million under the Closed Circuit Television Initiative;

£62 million targeted on two million homes in 500 neighbourhoods in England and Wales with high burglary rates;

£31 million for the long-term initiative "On Track" aimed at children aged between 4-12 at risk of getting involved in crime;

£30 million has been earmarked for problem-oriented or intelligence-led policing projects; and

£13 million to enable 70 Youth Inclusion schemes to be set up to prevent youth offending and the associated risk factors.

The various initiatives we have put in place will help the police and local communities work more effectively towards the reduction of crime and make our country a safer place in which to live.

The relevant tables have been placed in the Library.

Elderly Prisoners

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are aged over 60 years; and what arrangements are made to meet their needs. [130642]

Mr. Boateng: On 30 June 2000, there were 1,266 prisoners who were aged 60 and over. There are no separate arrangements for this group of prisoners. The Prison Service aims to assess each prisoner in order to identify their individual needs.

Integrate Services (Warrington)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Charity Commission will publish the report of its investigation into Integrate Services in Warrington; and if he will ensure that a copy of the full report is placed in the Library. [130704]

Mr. Boateng [holding answer 18 July 2000]: I understand that the Charity Commissioners expect to complete their Inquiry into Integrate Services and publish a report in September. A copy of the report will be placed in the Library.

---