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Mobile Phone Thefts
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of reported mobile phone thefts which were insurance fraud in the last 12 months. [42791]
Mr. Denham: The requested information is not routinely collected centrally.
Women's Organisations
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which women's organisations have been consulted on proposed legislation by his Department during 2000–01 and 2001–02 sessions; and if their responses have been published. [66524]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 2 July 2002]: This information is not held centrally within the Home Office and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Transsexuals
Miss Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if transsexual people will be able to have their transsexual name and gender recorded on an identity card system introduced by the Government. [70007]
Beverley Hughes: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary made a statement to the House on 3 July, announcing the publication of a consultation paper on Entitlement Cards and Identity Fraud. The consultation period will last until 10 January 2003. The Government has 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 consultation paper outlines how a scheme might be delivered by building on the existing driving licence and passport systems.
In the consultation paper the Government states that it is not proposing any changes to the law on transsexual people in the consultation exercise and that the existing procedures for issuing passports and driving licences in these cases would apply for any entitlement card scheme.
The Government announced on 21 June that it was reconvening the Working Group on transsexual people whose report has been under active consideration since it was presented to Parliament in July 2000. The Group will
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look further into the implications of the possible changes in policy identified in the report, and of the judgments of the European Court on Human Rights in the cases of Goodwin v. The United Kingdom and I v. The United Kingdom which were delivered on 11 July. The Group will report to Ministers later this year but no commitment can yet be given on any likely recommendations or the timing of their implementation. Any recommendations will be taken into account in the design of an entitlement card scheme should the Government decide to proceed after the consultation exercise.
Gender Impact Assessment
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the subject of each gender impact assessment drawn up by his Department since June 1997, indicating in each case whether the outcome has been (a) put out to consultation and (b) published. [66607]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 2 July 2002]: Details regarding gender impact assessments are not centrally held and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Data Series
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new data series separated by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by his Department since August 1997. [66608]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 2 July 2002]: Since August 1997 the Research, Development and Statistics Directorate of the Home Office have commissioned the following data series (including further exercises of regular on-going surveys):
(i) The 2001 Home Office Citizenship Survey collects information on sex, race, disability and age. Reports on the Citizenship Survey planned for 2002 will analyse the data by sex, race and ethnicity.
(ii) The 2000 sweeps of the British Crime Survey (BCS) incorporated ethnic "booster samples". This has allowed the experience of ethnic minorities with respect to both crime victimisation risk and other experience and views regarding the police and other parts of the Criminal Justice System (CJS). From January 2001 the BCS has moved to an annual cycle with a permanent ethnic boost.
(iii) From 1 April 1999 the information collected by the Home Office on police arrests was extended to provide information for persons arrested for notifiable offences by ethnic appearance of suspect, gender, age group and offence group.
(iv) From 1 April 2001 police forces have been asked to provide returns on the number of racist crimes recorded by ethnic appearance of victim, offence group, age group and gender of victim and detection rate. Currently this return is voluntary and it is currently proposed that it will become mandatory from 1 April 2003.
In addition to new data series the Department has commissioned, conducted itself a number of one-off or time-limited exercises, yielding information including one or more of these dimensions.
Antisocial Behaviour
Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further measures he is taking to tackle anti-social behaviour. [42898]
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Mr. Denham: Tackling anti-social behaviour is a priority for the Government. We have included legislative changes in the Police Reform Bill that will improve the effectiveness of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs). We will be issuing revised guidance to all agencies involved in the process of obtaining ASBOs in order that they can make maximum use of this valuable sanction measure.
The Bill also includes measures that will enable the police to enlist the assistance of their own civilian staff as well as the staff of other agencies in the community in tackling anti-social behaviour. Chief officers will be able to appoint support staff from their civilian ranks to provide a visible presence in the community and exercise limited powers to deal with a range of crime, including those which constitute anti-social behaviour. A similar role is also proposed for some of those staff from other agencies who are already working with the police in the community, such as street wardens, and environmental health officers.
Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships throughout the country are appointing co-ordinators for action against anti-social behaviour. They will be responsible for ensuring that robust local strategies, based on the needs of their communities, are in place.
Finally, under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 we introduced fixed penalty fines for a number of disorder offences including disorderly behaviour while drunk in a public place and the throwing of fireworks in a throughfare. This provision will be piloted within five police areas this summer.
Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many ASBOs have been issued by South Yorkshire police in each of the last two years; [68866]
- (2) how many Acceptable Behaviour Contracts have been issued in South Yorkshire in the last 12 months. [68865]
Mr. Denham: Data on the number of Acceptable Behaviour Contracts are not collected centrally.
Anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) were introduced from 1 April 1999 and up to 31 May 2000 data were collected on the total number of ASBOs issued by police force area only. These data do not include information on the applicant. The table shows the number of ASBOs reported to the Home Office from 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2001.
| Year | Number where applicant was the police | Total number issued |
|---|---|---|
| June to December 2000 | 1 | 1 |
| January to December 2001 | 4 | 7 |
We are currently considering whether any further checks are needed to ensure the accuracy of the number of ASBOs reported.
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Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in Hampshire; and if he will make a statement. [46442]
Mr. Denham: Anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) were introduced from 1 April 1999. The latest available data covering the period up to the end of December 2001, show that seven ASBOs have been issued within Hampshire (including the Isle of Wight).
We are currently considering whether any further checks are needed to ensure the accuracy of the number of ASBOs reported.
Youth Crime
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on Government plans to tackle youth crime in Lancashire; [50635]
- (2) if he will make a statement on Government plans to tackle youth crime in Wales. [50634]
Mr. Denham: The Government is supporting a wide programme to tackle youth offending in all areas, which includes action to prevent children being drawn into crime in the first place. This includes work with families, in neighbourhoods to tackle deprivation, with education services to reduce exclusions and improve attendance, and implementation of the 10 year anti-drugs strategy.
We also support a number of preventative programmes to steer young people, including those most at risk, away from crime. These include Youth Inclusion Programmes: of which there are at present two in Lancashire and three in Wales; Splash Schemes: in 15 localities in Lancashire and seven localities in Wales; and the Positive Futures programme: one project in Lancashire and two in Wales.
In addition, improvements to the youth justice system, reduced delays, new sentences and programmes, and expanded powers available to the police and courts all help to ensure that we are tackling youth criminality head on.
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