House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 12 Jul 2002 (pt 7)

ASBOs

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many ASBOs have been made in Surrey in each of the last 12 months. [68624]

Mr. Denham: Anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) were introduced from 1 April 1999. The data given in the table show the number of ASBOs reported to the Home Office up to the end of December 2001 (latest available).

Number of anti-social behaviour orders issued within Surrey from 1 April 1999 to 31 December 2001.

1 April 1999– 31 December 2000⁽¹¹⁾ 1 January 2001– 31 December 2001 Total

2 2 4

1 April 1999– 31 December 2000⁽¹¹⁾	1 January 2001– 31 December 2001	Total
2	2	4

⁽¹¹⁾ From 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 information collected on the total number of ASBOs issued by police force area only.

We are currently considering whether any further checks are needed to ensure the accuracy of the number reported.

12 Jul 2002 : Column 1249W

Pension Schemes

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the proportion of the rise in Government liabilities resulting from unfunded parts of the police and fire pension scheme in the last five years due to (a) wage inflation, (b) longevity, (c) extension of the rights of part-time workers and (d) other factors; and if he will make a statement. [67025]

Mr. Denham: In relation to the police pension scheme, which is unfunded, I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 1 July 2002 given by myself to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Andrew Turner), Official Report, column 186W. There is no baseline at present by which to measure the increase in liabilities, but the main driving factors are price inflation, and real earnings growth for current employees and new pensioners.

Matters relating to firefighters' pensions are for my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister.

ID Cards

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce ID cards; at what estimated cost; and if he will make a statement. [67203]

Beverley Hughes: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary made a statement to the House on 3 July 2002, announcing the publication of a consultation paper on Entitlement Cards and Identity Fraud. The consultation period will last until 10 January 2003. The Government have made it clear that the introduction of an entitlement card would be a major step and that it would not proceed without consulting widely and considering all the views expressed very carefully.

The paper includes a number of estimates of what a scheme would cost, depending on the sophistication of the card. A reasonable estimate would be that a scheme would cost around £1.5 billion over a 13 year period covering the three years it would take to set up the necessary Information Technology systems and the 10 year period for which the first cards would be valid.

This would include much more stringent identity checks than currently apply for passports and driving licences in response to increased levels of fraudulent applications.

It would also include the costs of using biometric information (fingerprints or iris images) which would uniquely link the card holder with a card.

This estimate does not include any savings to Government through more efficient administration and reductions in fraud. The paper also sets out how the costs might be recovered through increases in fees for driving licences and passports and charging a fee for entitlement cards issued to those who did not qualify for or who did not want to apply for a card in the form of a photocard driving licence or passport card. It would not be the Government's intention to use funds allocated for investment in public services for a card scheme.

12 Jul 2002 : Column 1250W

Brixton Cannabis Experiment

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the objectives and criteria for success were of the Brixton experiment on policing cannabis use. [67191]

Mr. Ainsworth: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that the key objective for the Lambeth cannabis pilot study was to allow police officers to devote more time to deal with serious crimes by reducing the amount of time they spent at the police station completing the necessary paperwork associated with persons arrested for the possession of cannabis.

During the initial pilot period, a total of 13:50 hours were saved.

Over the period of the pilot there was a 10 per cent. increase in arrests for Class A dealings, and a 44 per cent. increase in arrests for dealing crack.

Police

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people died in police custody in 2001. [68017]

Mr. Denham: Sixty-four people died in police custody or otherwise following contact with the police during 2001. Two of these deaths occurred in police stations.

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the overall crime detection rate for each police force in England in each year from 1990–91 to 2001–02; if he will rank each force in order of highest to lowest detection rate for the latest year for which information is available; and if he will make a statement. [66883]

Mr. Denham: Details for the calendar years 1990 to 1997, and financial years thereafter, were published in table 2.11 of "Criminal Statistics England and Wales 2000", and are given in the table.

There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which increased the total number of crimes counted in each police force area, and therefore may have affected the detection rate. Detection rates after this date are therefore not directly comparable with previous years.

There was a change in the counting rules for detections on 1 April 1999, the new instructions providing more precise and rigorous criteria for securing a detection, with the underlying emphasis on the successful result of a police investigation. For example, detections obtained by the interview of a convicted prisoner were no longer included. Numbers of detections before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.

As different police forces have different crime mixes, comparing overall detection rates between forces is of limited value. This is because different types of crime tend to have different detection rates, and so a police force with which has a higher proportion of types of crime with high detection rates will tend to have a higher overall detection rate. Also, police forces may give priority to tackling particular types of crime, with the detection rate of those crimes having some effect on the force's overall detection rate.

England and Wales 1990–2000/01 Percentages

Police force area 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1997–8⁽¹²⁾ 1998–9⁽¹³⁾ 1999–2000⁽¹⁴⁾ 2000–01⁽¹⁴⁾

Suffolk 41 37 39 37 35 34 33 37 39 41 36 35

Devon and Cornwall 32 29 18 25 27 27 30 32 34 36 35 34

Cumbria 43 40 37 38 37 40 36 40 41 44 39 34

Durham 34 30 30 30 32 30 30 31 30 33 32 34

Northamptonshire 35 31 30 27 31 28 34 35 35 33 33 33

Gloucestershire 33 35 24 20 24 27 23 24 26 31 31 31

Northumbria 40 35 17 20 22 23 24 26 26 30 31 31

North Yorkshire 40 36 33 30 25 23 25 26 26 33 31 30

Wiltshire 44 40 37 35 36 32 29 32 32 38 33 30

Cheshire 50 41 29 26 30 31 34 36 34 37 31 30

Hampshire 32 28 26 26 27 28 28 30 30 35 32 29

West Midlands 36 31 27 27 25 24 23 24 25 30 27 28

Leicestershire 36 29 30 28 30 29 31 34 34 34 30 28

Surrey⁽¹⁵⁾ 27 23 22 20 30 31 29 33 35 40 32 28

Merseyside 44 45 42 39 33 27 29 31 31 31 26 28

Kent 25 23 27 25 29 26 32 31 31 34 33 28

Bedfordshire 19 19 20 21 22 22 33 35 35 33 25 27

West Mercia 46 35 34 29 29 28 26 28 27 34 29 27

London, City of 21 20 20 22 27 23 27 26 28 33 32 27

Lancashire 44 40 37 35 33 34 33 29 29 34 29 27

Essex⁽¹⁵⁾ 29 32 29 32 36 33 29 27 28 29 30 26

Norfolk 37 37 34 28 34 31 32 37 36 37 30 26

Derbyshire 32 28 22 21 21 20 21 25 26 31 28 26

South Yorkshire 44 36 26 20 24 24 23 29 32 32 25 25

Dorset 35 41 32 33 30 28 27 29 30 31 26 25

Lincolnshire 43 46 39 37 32 39 42 48 46 40 28 25

Cambridgeshire 38 36 27 25 25 19 24 27 28 29 25 24

Hertfordshire⁽¹⁵⁾ 30 33 26 21 24 28 30 32 33 34 27 24

Sussex 26 23 23 24 24 28 29 26 26 25 25 23

Staffordshire 39 37 30 29 31 32 34 35 34 32 22 23

West Yorkshire 34 28 25 18 20 21 24 27 27 27 25 23

Warwickshire 29 24 23 21 24 25 24 27 29 26 22 22

Thames Valley 26 22 19 21 22 23 25 24 25 25 20 22

Greater Manchester 32 36 35 34 34 24 17 20 20 25 23 22

Avon and Somerset 29 24 17 17 21 23 24 26 26 24 22 22

Cleveland 25 33 32 27 19 25 24 25 23 23 22 21

Humberside 37 32 23 16 17 19 20 20 21 22 19 21

Nottinghamshire 35 27 26 29 28 23 28 28 26 25 21 20

Metropolitan Police⁽¹⁵⁾ 17 17 16 17 23 25 23 26 25 22 16 15

England 31 29 25 25 26 26 26 28 28 28 24 24

Police force area	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1997–8⁽¹²⁾	1998–9⁽¹³⁾	1999–2000⁽¹⁴⁾	2000–01⁽¹⁴⁾
Suffolk	41	37	39	37	35	34	33	37	39	41	36	35
Devon and Cornwall	32	29	18	25	27	27	30	32	34	36	35	34
Cumbria	43	40	37	38	37	40	36	40	41	44	39	34
Durham	34	30	30	30	32	30	30	31	30	33	32	34
Northamptonshire	35	31	30	27	31	28	34	35	35	33	33	33
Gloucestershire	33	35	24	20	24	27	23	24	26	31	31	31
Northumbria	40	35	17	20	22	23	24	26	26	30	31	31
North Yorkshire	40	36	33	30	25	23	25	26	26	33	31	30
Wiltshire	44	40	37	35	36	32	29	32	32	38	33	30
Cheshire	50	41	29	26	30	31	34	36	34	37	31	30
Hampshire	32	28	26	26	27	28	28	30	30	35	32	29
West Midlands	36	31	27	27	25	24	23	24	25	30	27	28
Leicestershire	36	29	30	28	30	29	31	34	34	34	30	28
Surrey⁽¹⁵⁾	27	23	22	20	30	31	29	33	35	40	32	28
Merseyside	44	45	42	39	33	27	29	31	31	31	26	28
Kent	25	23	27	25	29	26	32	31	31	34	33	28
Bedfordshire	19	19	20	21	22	22	33	35	35	33	25	27
West Mercia	46	35	34	29	29	28	26	28	27	34	29	27
London, City of	21	20	20	22	27	23	27	26	28	33	32	27
Lancashire	44	40	37	35	33	34	33	29	29	34	29	27
Essex⁽¹⁵⁾	29	32	29	32	36	33	29	27	28	29	30	26
Norfolk	37	37	34	28	34	31	32	37	36	37	30	26
Derbyshire	32	28	22	21	21	20	21	25	26	31	28	26
South Yorkshire	44	36	26	20	24	24	23	29	32	32	25	25
Dorset	35	41	32	33	30	28	27	29	30	31	26	25
Lincolnshire	43	46	39	37	32	39	42	48	46	40	28	25
Cambridgeshire	38	36	27	25	25	19	24	27	28	29	25	24
Hertfordshire⁽¹⁵⁾	30	33	26	21	24	28	30	32	33	34	27	24
Sussex	26	23	23	24	24	28	29	26	26	25	25	23
Staffordshire	39	37	30	29	31	32	34	35	34	32	22	23
West Yorkshire	34	28	25	18	20	21	24	27	27	27	25	23
Warwickshire	29	24	23	21	24	25	24	27	29	26	22	22
Thames Valley	26	22	19	21	22	23	25	24	25	25	20	22
Greater Manchester	32	36	35	34	34	24	17	20	20	25	23	22
Avon and Somerset	29	24	17	17	21	23	24	26	26	24	22	22
Cleveland	25	33	32	27	19	25	24	25	23	23	22	21
Humberside	37	32	23	16	17	19	20	20	21	22	19	21
Nottinghamshire	35	27	26	29	28	23	28	28	26	25	21	20
Metropolitan Police⁽¹⁵⁾	17	17	16	17	23	25	23	26	25	22	16	15
England	31	29	25	25	26	26	26	28	28	28	24	24

⁽¹²⁾ The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the coverage and rules in use until 31 March 1998.

⁽¹³⁾ The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.

⁽¹⁴⁾ Revised detections guidance was implemented on 1 April 1999. The new instructions provide more precise and rigorous criteria for recording a detection, with the underlying emphasis on the successful result of a police investigation.

⁽¹⁵⁾ On 1.4.2000, parts of the Metropolitan police area were transferred to Surrey, Essex and Hertfordshire. This may have had an effect on detection rates in those areas.

12 Jul 2002 : Column 1251W

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