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4 Nov 2002 : Column 111W—continued
Prison Population (England)
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the population of English prisons in each of the last five years for (a) men, (b) women and (c) juveniles. [70817]
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Hilary Benn: The number of males and females held in prisons in England since 1998 is shown in the table. The number of juveniles in custody is also shown.
The juvenile estate was established in April 2000, which is when the Youth Justice Board began collecting data on juveniles separately from the prison service. The juvenile figures for 2000 onwards therefore include those children held in private sector secure training centres and local authority secure children's homes in addition to the previously supplied prison service establishments. The juvenile figures for 1998 and 1999 are for those in prison service establishments only.
| Year(12) | Males(13) | Females(13) | Juveniles(14) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 60,584 | 3,120 | 2,446 |
| 1999 | 59,232 | 3,207 | 2,359 |
| 2000 | 59,916 | 3,355 | 2,665 |
| 2001 | 60,640 | 3,713 | 2,777 |
| 2002 | 64,560 | 4,394 | 3,014 |
(12) All data represent 30 June.
(13) Data for males and females include juveniles in prison service establishments.
(14) Under 18 years of age.
Radioactivity Monitors at British Ports
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will announce the (a) location and (b) the commencement date of the proposed pilot to install radioactivity monitors at British ports. [38590]
Mr. Blunkett [holding answer 4 March 2002]: As a result of the terrorist in America in September last year, reviews have been undertaken of the security arrangements to counter the new threats that now exist to this country. This has resulted in a number of new measures, initiatives and trials. For obvious reasons I do not propose to give details of them. However, I can confirm that screening is part of this overall package.
Retail Crime
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to provide funding to local retail crime prevention initiatives in town shopping centres and secondary shopping areas. [77977]
Mr. Denham: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Mr. Lepper) on 14 May 2002, Official Report, column 605W.
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the correlation between retail crime and drug abuse; [78129]
- (2) what assessment he has made of the correlation between retail crime and street crime. [78135]
Mr. Denham: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Mr. Lepper) on 19 September 2002, Official Report, column 19W.
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Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of retail crime was to (a) business, (b) local authorities and (c) the police in each of the past three years; and what information he has on the amount spent by the retail sector on crime prevention measures in each of the last three years. [78131]
Mr. Denham: The Home Office does not collect information about the cost of retail crime. The British Retail Consortium conducts an annual retail crime survey and the most recent, published in June 2002, estimated total retail crime losses in the United Kingdom at #2.4 billion in 2001, down from an estimated #2.5 billion in 2000. The survey of crimes affecting retailers and manufacturers announced by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 23 April 2002, the results of which should be available next spring, will provide information on the amount spent by the retail sector on crime prevention measures over the past year. The British Retail Consortium is assisting us with our survey.
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much of the money allocated to his Department in this year's Budget will be used to tackle retail crime. [78133]
Mr. Denham: It is not possible to provide an overall figure for the amount of money allocated to the Home Office in this year's budget, which will be used to tackle retail crime. Chief officers of police forces and individual crime and disorder reduction partnerships decide on the priorities for their local areas, and a proportion of their mainstream expenditure or their Home Office funding may be spent on tackling retail crime. Many of the measures taken to reduce particular crimes, such as juvenile crime, street crime and drug-related crime, and anti-social behaviour, are also likely to have a beneficial impact on reducing retail crime.
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Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures his Department is taking to tackle retail crime. [78136]
Mr. Denham: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 16 May 2002, Official Report, column 846W.
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make retail crime a best value indicator for police force performance. [78137]
Mr. Denham: I refer my hon Friend to the answer I gave to the hon Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 24 July 2002, Official Report, column 1493W.
Special Constables
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many special constables there were in each police force in England and Wales on (a) 1st September 2002 and (b) 1 September of each of the last five years; [77640]
- (2) how many special constables there are in (a) Lancashire, (b) the north-west of England and (c) Wales. [77639]
Mr. Denham: Data on police officer numbers in England and Wales, including the Special Constabulary, is collected in March and September each year by the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate and published in the statistical bulletin XPolice Service Strength".
The data on Special Constabulary strength for 30 September 1997 to 30 September 2001 is set out in the table. For 2002, the latest figure available is for 31 March 2002.
The Special Constabulary has a vital role to play in reducing crime and providing reassurance to the public and we are committed to increasing the numbers of specials. We are working with stakeholders on a variety of measures, including good practice guidance to help forces improve the recruitment, management and deployment of specials.
Source:
Figures provided by Research Development Statistics Directorate
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