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Crime (Avon and Somerset)

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what change there has been in the levels of crime in each category in the Avon and Somerset Police Authority between 2000–01 and 2001–02. [69207]

Mr. John Denham [holding answer 16 July 2002]: As the requested data relates to a police single police force area, details from the British Crime Survey, which

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estimates people's actual experience of crime, are not available.

Percentage changes between 2000–01 and 2001–02 for the numbers of offences in the major categories of recorded crimes by police force area have been published in Table 7.03 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Crime in England and Wales 2001–2002", which is available in the Library. The overall figures for Avon and Somerset are as follows:

Crimes Recorded by the Police Avon and Somerset

Offence	April 2000 to March 01	April 01 To March 02	Change	Percentage Change
Violence against the person			2,310	15
	15,376	17,686
Sexual offences	930		165	18
		1,095
Robbery			2,124	77
	2,765	4,889
Total violent crime			4,599	24
	19,071	23,670
Burglary			7,060	27
	25,805	32,865
Theft and handling			12,874	19
	69,605	82,479
Fraud and forgery			883	10
	9,211	10,094
Criminal damage			4,511	20
	22,479	26,990
Drug offences			-130	-7
	1,990	1,860
Other offences			-60	-5
	1,093	1,033

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Some police forces, such as Avon and Somerset, adopted the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in advance of the national implementation in April 2002. Changes in crime statistics in these forces will be strongly influenced by the changes in recording practice, and the impact will vary for different types of offences. Details of the impact of the recording changes are included in chapter three of the above bulletin.

Specialist Police Officers

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many specialist police officers are expected to be trained in the use of baton guns by the end of 2002; and if he will make a statement. [71002]

Mr. John Denham: The information is not held centrally.

Policing (Sussex)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how much of the street crime, counter-terrorism, policing and prisons package announced on 1 May will be available to Sussex Police; and for what purpose; [71093]

(2) how much of the additional funding for policing in the South East announced by his Department on 10 June will be made available for (a) Sussex Police and (b) improving security at Shoreham Airport. [71094]

Mr. John Denham [holding answer 18 July 2002]: The additional counter terrorist funding announced following the budget was additional and complementary to existing funding streams for ports security and counter terrorist operations. The sums allocated were the result of full consultation between individual forces, the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Home Office. Sussex Police already receive funding through established routes for airport security within the police authority area. Shoreham Airport is policed by resources already in place.

In addition to extra funding for ports security and counter terrorist operations announced on 10 June, we also announced extra funding for 10 forces taking part in the Government's crackdown on street crime. These 10 forces account for 82 per cent. of robbery across the country. Sussex is not among these 10.

Criminal Justice

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what criteria the level of public confidence in the criminal justice system is to be measured under the 2002 Public Service Agreement for which he is reponsible; and, using the same criteria, what the level of public confidence was in each of the last five years. [71611]

Mr. Hilary Benn [holding answer 19 July 2002]: Responses to six questions in the British Crime Survey (BCS) will be taken as indicating the state of public confidence in the criminal justice system. The relevant questions are whether the public is confident that the criminal justice system:
— respects the rights of the accused and treats them fairly;
— is effective in bringing people who commit crimes to justice;

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— deals with cases promptly and efficiently;
— meets the needs of victims;
— is effective in reducing crime;
— is effecting in dealing with young people.

A target was set for the first time in SR2000 and we therefore do not have information before that period. Our first set of findings (31 January 2001) were:
— 69 per cent. of people are confident that the system respects the rights of the accused and treats them fairly (the confidence rates were 70 per cent. for white people, 52 per cent. for black people and 66 per cent. for Asians);
— 46 per cent. are confident that it is effective in bringing people who commit crimes to justice (46 per cent. white, 51 per cent. black and 55 per cent. Asian);
— 34 per cent. are confident it deals with cases promptly and efficiently (34 per cent. white, 38 per cent. black and 48 per cent. Asian);
— 26 per cent. are confident it meets the needs of victims (25 per cent. white, 37 per cent. black and 42 per cent. Asian).

New questions, which address crime reduction and tackling youth crime, were included in the most recent survey and findings will be published in the Autumn. Therefore, due to changes in the collation of the BCS, we do not have two sets of directly comparable data available.

Probation Service

Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the 2002 pay settlement for the National Probation Service will be implemented. [71631]

Mr. Hilary Benn [holding answer 19 July 2002]: The pay settlement for the National Probation Service is currently awaiting approval and an announcement is expected shortly.

Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many permanent posts have been frozen for budgetary reasons in the London probation area in 2002–03. [71630]

Mr. Hilary Benn [holding answer 19 July 2002]: There are 2,137 full time employees in the London Probation Area, 530 part-time employees, 89 on temporary contract and 80 agency staff. 69 new Trainee Probation Officers will be employed this financial year.

The London Probation Area is an amalgamation of the five former London Probation Boards. Against the previous establishment figures of the five Boards the amalgamated Area is holding vacancies of two hundred and forty-nine posts or approximately 10 per cent. of the old establishment figure.

The Area is presently working with the Unions and the National Probation Directorate to develop a workload measurement tool that will identify the staffing needs of the Area. It was understood early in the amalgamation process that there would be duplication of certain functions that would allow for reductions in staffing levels. The vacancies are being maintained until the workload measurement tool identifies the precise needs of the Area.

Home Detention Curfew Scheme

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many participants were in the home detention curfew scheme in (a) January, (b) February and (c) March. [70554]

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Mr. Hilary Benn [holding answer 22 July 2002]: The numbers of prisoners on Home Detention Curfew on the Friday of each week during January, February and March 2002 were as follows:

Date	Caseload
4 January	1,672
11 January	1,686
18 January	1,675
25 January	1,672
1 February	1,694
8 February	1,707
15 February	1,688
22 February	1,707
1 March	1,783
8 March	1,821
15 March	1,872
22 March	1,918
29 March	1,965

Drugs

Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals were (a) cautioned and (b) arrested for (i) possession and (ii) supply of (A) heroin, (B) crack, (C) cocaine, (D) ecstasy and (E) cannabis by each police force in June. [71647]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 22 July 2002]: Statistics on cautions and arrests for 2002 will be published by December 2003. Counts of arrests are only available centrally by broad offence group (in this case for the group "drug offences") and quarter.

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