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Graffiti
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to issue new guidelines to spray-paint manufacturers and retailers to encourage them to minimise sales to minors who intend to use the spray for graffiti. [149603]
Mr. Charles Clarke: We have no plans to issue guidelines on this issue.
Leicestershire Police Authority
Mr. Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in
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post in Leicestershire police authority in each year between 1996-97 and the last year for which figures are available. [150023]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The information requested is set out in the table. The latest figures available are those for 30 September 2000.
| Year(10) | Number of police officers |
|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 1,949 |
| 1997-98 | 1,983 |
| 1998-99 | 1,993 |
| 1999-2000 | 1,993 |
| 2000-01(11) | 2,010 |
(10) As at 31 March
(11) As at 30 September 2000
Crime Statistics (Cheshire)
Mr. Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the level of (a) violent crime, (b) theft of vehicles, (c) thefts from vehicles, (d) house burglaries and (e) vandalism was in Cheshire in each year from 1997 to 2000. [149662]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The details covering this period are given in the table. Owing to the change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, direct comparisons cannot be made between the data for before and after this date. However, for England and Wales as a whole, it has been estimated that the change in counting rules increased the number violent of crimes counted by 83 per cent., thefts of and from vehicles by 1 per cent., all burglaries by 0.1 per cent. and criminal damage by 5 per cent.
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| Years ending | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offences | March 1997 | March 1998 | March 1999 | March 2000 | September 2000 |
| Total violent crime(12) | 4,496 | 4,733 | 7,623 | 6,645 | 6,400 |
| Burglary in a dwelling | 7,423 | 6,248 | 5,925 | 5,379 | 5,518 |
| Theft from vehicle | 8,667 | 8,076 | 7,492 | 7,582 | 7,667 |
| Theft or unauthorised taking of motor vehicle | 6,095 | 5,311 | 4,955 | 4,594 | 4,776 |
| Criminal damage (including arson) | 11,755 | 11,219 | 11,596 | 12,627 | 13,050 |
(12) Includes violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery
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Police Expenditure
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 January, Official Report, column 490W, on police expenditure, what the change in central Government expenditure on policing was in total and in real terms in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [148583]
Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 9 February 2001]: The information is set out in the table.
In my previous reply of 22 January 2001, Official Report, column 490W, the percentage change in real terms for net expenditure by police authorities in 1995-96 compared with the previous year should read "-0.3 per cent", not 0.3 per cent.
(13) Before 1995-96 Welsh SSAs were unhypothecated at county level and payments to police authorities in Wales were agreed by constituent counties. SSAs for Welsh police authorities are included in the table only from 1995-96, in which year they were £160 million.
Notes:
1. Home Office provision is grant/special grant, capital grant, credit approvals and central Home Office spending.
2. Real terms figures are shown at 1999-2000 prices using GDP deflator at December 2000.
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Police Vehicles (Black Boxes)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces fit black boxes to their vehicles; and if he will make a statement. [148939]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Information on police forces fitting black box recorders to their vehicles is not held centrally.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Judges' Lodgings
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will (a) make a statement on progress of her review of judges' lodgings and (b) publish the report when it is completed. [150001]
Jane Kennedy: Consultation between the Lord Chancellor and the Judiciary on the review continues.
The Lord Chancellor intends to publish his decisions along with the report when the review is completed.
TREASURY
Budget
Barbara Follett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to deliver his Budget Statement. [150794]
Mr. Gordon Brown: On Wednesday 7 March.
Chester Street Insurance Holdings
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what steps his Department can take to safeguard payouts to sufferers from asbestos-related diseases following the collapse of Chester Street Insurance Holdings Limited; [147296]
- (2) if he will make a statement on his Department's policy following the collapse of Chester Street Insurance Holdings Limited in respect of protecting the interests of sufferers from asbestos-related diseases; [147310]
(3) what discussions he is having with (a) Ministers and (b) the financial services industry following the collapse of Chester Street Insurance Holdings Limited; [147297]
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(4) what action he is taking to ensure that those (a) who worked for publicly owned enterprises and have an asbestos-related disease and (b) with asbestos-related diseases relating to pre-1972 exposure, do not suffer adversely from the collapse of Chester Street Insurance Holdings Limited. [148916]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answers 29 January 2001]: The Government understand the concern of those suffering from asbestos-related disease as a consequence of employment in firms whose employees' liability insurance is provided by Chester Street Insurance Holdings Limited.
As a consequence of the insolvency of Chester Street Insurance Holdings Limited, provisional liquidators were appointed on 10 January 2001. At a meeting on 5 February a scheme of arrangement was agreed by creditors.
The Government expect the Policyholders Protection Board to work closely with the provisional liquidators and others to ensure claims are processed promptly; and that the PPB will ensure the provisions of the Policyholders Protection Act 1975 are implemented fully.
HM Treasury is monitoring the position by keeping in close touch with other Departments, the Policyholders Protection Board, the FSA and relevant parts of the financial services industry.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what role his Department played in the restructuring of the Iron Trades Employers Association and the transfer of asbestos-related risks to Chester Street Insurance Holdings in 1989; [148914]
- (2) if he will name the regulatory bodies that have been responsible for monitoring the affairs of the Iron Trades Employers Insurance Association Limited and Chester Street Insurance Holdings Limited since 1989; and what (a) actions they have taken and (b) reports they have made to him in that time. [149363]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 8 February 2001]: The prudential supervision of insurance companies was the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry until 4 January 1998. On 5 January 1998, these functions transferred to the Treasury. On 1 January 1999, the Financial Services Authority became the prudential supervisor under a contracting-out order.
HM Treasury had no responsibility for the re-organisation of the Iron Trades Insurance Group in 1989 and, as far as I am aware, did not play any part in this.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who will represent the Government at the creditors' meeting of Chester Street Insurance Holdings Limited on 5 February to safeguard interests of sufferers from asbestos-related diseases. [148703]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 7 February 2001]: The Government are not creditors and hence were not present at the meeting on 5 February. A representative of the FSA, as prudential supervisor of Chester Street Insurance Holdings Limited, had observer status at the meeting.
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