| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Special Constables
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables there were in Lancashire in (a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [151759]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Statistics on the strength of the Special Constabulary have been collected since 1995 by the Home Office research development and statistics directorate. These figures are compiled at the end of March and September each year. Before 1995, figures were collected by Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary. The figures for 1992 were compiled at the end of the calendar year.
The Special Constabulary strength figures for Lancashire Special Constabulary for 1992, September 1997 and September 2000 (the latest figures available) are as follows:
| December 1992 | September 1997 | September 2000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 313 | 286 | 222 |
| Female | 226 | 214 | 140 |
| Total | 539 | 500 | 362 |
We are currently considering a number of recruitment and retention issues in relation to the Special Constabulary with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities with a view to seeing how best to address the decline in the number of special constables in England and Wales.
Asylum Seekers
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers who have had their applications rejected are in receipt of NASS support prior to removal from the country; and if he will make a statement. [151746]
Mrs. Roche: The information requested is not currently available. However, the national asylum support service (NASS) supports single asylum seekers who receive a negative decision for 14 days following notification to them of the decision. Families with children under 18 who receive a final negative decision will continue to be supported by NASS until they leave the country.
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of crimes committed by asylum seekers in each police authority area in each quarter of (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000. [151237]
5 Mar 2001 : Column: 27W
Mr. Charles Clarke: The information on offences recorded in each police authority area that is routinely returned to the Home Office does not include details of the offender. Information is also not held in respect of statistics relating to asylum seekers themselves. The only statistics which relate in any way to offences committed by those from abroad are court statistics of the number of offenders recommended for deportation, but these relate to others as well as asylum seekers.
Dr. Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many held asylum seekers have been returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo in each month of the last two years. [151289]
Mrs. Roche: The requested information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Policies (Ilford, North)
Ms Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what initiatives embarked upon since May 1997 have benefited Ilford, North; and if he will make a statement. [152028]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Home Office is working to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced, and the protection and security of the public are maintained. Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in Home Office annual reports. A copy of the most recent report, "Home Office Annual Report 1999-2000", is available in the Library. Information on recorded crime and policing is also published. "Recorded Crime England and Wales, 12 months to September 2000" and "Police Service Strength England and Wales, 30 September 2000" can be found in the Library. The recorded crime statistics include information on recorded crime by basic command unit and crime and disorder partnerships.
The impact of Home Office policies and actions is not normally examined by constituency and the statistics which the Department collects, such as recorded crime, cannot be matched in the way requested, although set out are examples relating to the Ilford, North constituency or the immediate locality.
Redbridge, in partnership with Havering, Barking and Dagenham and Waltham Forest, is running a drug arrest referral scheme. The borough is policed by the Metropolitan police, who have increased the amount of class A drugs seized by 23 per cent. from 1997 to 1998. The borough also benefits from a Londonwide domestic violence and racially motivated crime initiative being run by the Metropolitan police.
The Redbridge crime and disorder reduction partnership audit, which covers Ilford, North, was published in 1999. It showed, among other findings, that Redbridge has the second lowest crime rate in London. Redbridge's crime and disorder reduction strategy for 1999-2002 was published later in the year, setting three-year objectives for each priority area and identifying specific projects to enable these to be met.
5 Mar 2001 : Column: 28W
Youth Offending Teams (YOTs)
The Redbridge YOT covers the constituency of Ilford, North. The YOT is working with other youth justice agencies to deliver the Government's pledge to halve the average time taken from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders from 142 to 71 days. According to local information, the Redbridge youth court achieved an average of 40 days for the last quarter.
The YOT is carrying out initial assessments of young people using a research-based structured assessment tool. Assessment interviews are conducted jointly by YOT staff members from two different professional backgrounds to enhance the quality of the assessment process.
A bail support scheme is in operation locally in order to reduce the incidence of secure remands and reoffending by young people while on bail. Structured group work and individual programmes of differing intensities have been developed in order to address different levels of offending behaviour. 89 per cent. of young people receiving a community-based order are seen for their first appointment within one working day. All community-based orders contain a focus on the consequences of the offending for the victim. Local victim-offender mediation and mentoring projects have been established to support the YOT in the delivery of programmes. The team also works closely with the Odyssey under-18 drug and alcohol project. Two thirds of young people in contact with the YOT receive an input on education and training. Significant progress has been made in preventing school exclusions.
More generally, all of the policies of the Home Office will impact on the residents of Ilford, North to a greater or lesser extent. For example:
- 376 crime and disorder reduction partnerships have been established;
- racial harassment and racially motivated crimes have been made criminal offences by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998;
- the asylum backlog has been cut from 103,495 at the end of January 2000 to 66,195 by the end of December 2000; and
- good progress is being made in reducing the incidence of fire deaths in England and Wales. They have dropped from 605 in 1997 to 534 in 1999.
Departmental Policies (Bolton, West)
Ms Kelly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Bolton, West constituency, the effects on Bolton, West of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [150605]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Home Office is working to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced, and the protection and security of the public are maintained. Detailed information on the impact of Home office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in Home Office annual reports. A copy of the most recent report, "Home Office Annual Report 1999-2000", is available in the Library. Information on recorded crime and policing is also published. "Recorded Crime England and Wales, 12 months to September 2000" and "Police Service
5 Mar 2001 : Column: 29W
Strength England and Wales, 30 September 2000" can be found in the Library. The recorded crime statistics include information on recorded crime by basic command unit and crime and disorder partnerships.
The impact of Home office policies and actions is not normally examined by constituency and the statistics which the Department collects, such as recorded crime, cannot be matched in the way requested, although set out are examples relating to the Bolton, West constituency or the immediate locality:
Our scheme covering Bolton, North-East was awarded £174,000 under round two of the reducing burglary initiative.
One other scheme, for £189,000, was submitted under round three of the reducing burglary initiative, and is currently under consideration.
Neighbourhood Wardens Schemes:
One scheme covering Great Lever, Hutton, Lane and Deane, has been awarded £343,000.
The Bolton YOT covers the constituency of Bolton, West. The YOT has achieved an 85 per cent. compliance with national standards for the production of written court reports within agreed timescales. The YOT has also achieved a reduction in the number of young people being remanded into local authority accommodation. The availability of bail supervision programmes is targeting young people who previously would have been remanded by the courts and preventing reoffending while on bail. Reoffending by young people on bail is also being reduced through the introduction of Narey court procedures, as courts are now processing the cases of young people faster.
The police final warning scheme has been in operation since January 2000 and approximately 201 young people have been referred to the YOT for assessment and intervention work. More than 50 per cent. have engaged in some form of reparative activity. The YOT has also established a project to facilitate victim/offender mediation in support of the new community-based court orders. They are also providing victim awareness programmes for young people.
The health workers within the YOT have established links with child and adolescent mental health services; immunisation clinics; teenage pregnancy and sexual health programmes promoted by health staff.
Greater Manchester (including the Bolton, West constituency) is benefiting from the Youth Justice Board's development fund, which has awarded grants of approximately £3,754,000 over three years for one bail support scheme (covering the Greater Manchester area) and seven intervention programmes).
There is one additional intervention programme benefiting from grant funding by the Youth Justice Board which is specific to Bolton. The project is receiving a grant of approximately £15,000 over three years. This grant, together with match funding from health and social services, has allowed the "360° substance misuse project" to be established for young people. The project provides
5 Mar 2001 : Column: 30W
a drug treatment service covering all drugs and provides a community-based response offering a safe environment in which young people can assess their current lifestyles.
The youth justice board also provided funding for the operation of Splash schemes during the summer holidays in 2000. These schemes provided constructive and positive leisure activities for young people most at risk of offending. A Splash scheme was run in Johnson Fold.
More generally, all of the policies of the Home Office will impact on the residents of Bolton, West to a greater or lesser extent. For example:
- 376 crime and disorder reduction partnerships have been established:
- racial harassment and racially motivated crimes have been made criminal offences by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998;
- the asylum backlog has been cut from 103,495 at the end of January 2000 to 66,195 by the end of December 2000;
- good progress is being made in reducing the incidence of fire deaths in England and Wales. They have dropped from 605 in 1997 to 534 in 1999.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |