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12 Feb 2003 : Column 771W—continued
Cruelty to Animals
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had about the possible linkages between cruelty to animals and offences against the person. [96148]
Mr. Denham: The Department has not held recent discussions on the possible linkages between cruelty to animals and offences against the person, however, the Department is aware of the current external debates on this issue.
Drug-related Crime
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the percentage of crime related to drug use in (a) rural areas and (b) the Eastern region of the United Kingdom. [97593]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Recorded crime figures include statistics on drugs offences, such as possession, and on acquisitive crimes, such as burglary, but do not record whether the latter are related to an offender's drug habits.
However, the New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (NEW-ADAM) research programme, which involves interviewing and drug testing those arrested by the police, confirms a link between drug misuse and crime, although the conclusions do not relate specifically to rural areas or the Eastern region of the United Kingdom. Analysis of the data from the first eight sites in the survey, collected during 1999–2000, shows that 65 per cent. of arrestees provided a urine sample that tested positive for one or more illegal drug.
The analysis also shows that up to 29 per cent. of arrestees tested positive for opiates (including heroin) and/or cocaine (including crack).
As a guide to the proportion of crime that is drug-related, analysis of the NEW-ADAM self-report data indicates that while only 21 per cent. of non-drug using arrestees reported having previously offended in the past 12 months, this figure rises to 75 per cent. for those arrestees who use heroin and/or cocaine/crack. Moreover, while users of both heroin and cocaine/crack represented just under one quarter of all arrestees interviewed, they were responsible for more than three fifths of all the illegal income reported.
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In support of this, 55 per cent. of arrestees who reported using one or more drugs in the last 12 months and committing one or more acquisitive crimes, acknowledged a link between their drug use and their offending behaviour. This proportion rose to 78 per cent. for arrestees who said they had used heroin and cocaine/crack.
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of crime in the (a) Leeds West constituency and (b) the city of Leeds was deemed to be drug related in the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [96974]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Recorded crime figures include statistics on drugs offences, such as possession, and on acquisitive crimes, such as burglary, but do not record whether the latter are related to an offender's drug habits.
However, the new English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (NEW-ADAM) research programme, which involves interviewing and drug testing those arrested by the police, confirms a link between drug misuse and crime, although the conclusions do not relate specifically to Leeds. Analysis of the data from the first eight sites in the survey, collected during 1999–2000, shows that 65 per cent. of arrestees provided a urine sample that tested positive for one or more illegal drug. The analysis also shows that up to 29 per cent. of arrestees tested positive for opiates (including heroin) and/or cocaine (including crack).
As a guide to the proportion of crime that is drug-related, analysis of the NEW-ADAM self-report data indicates that while only 21 per cent. of non-drug using arrestees reported having previously offended in the past 12 months, this figure rises to 75 per cent. for those arrestees who use heroin and/or cocaine/crack. Moreover, while users of both heroin and cocaine/crack represented just under one quarter of all arrestees interviewed, they were responsible for more than three fifths of all the illegal income reported.
In support of this, 55 per cent. of arrestees who reported using one or more drugs in the last 12 months and committing one or more acquisitive crimes, acknowledged a link between their drug use and their offending behaviour. This proportion rose to 78 per cent. for arrestees who said they had used heroin and cocaine/crack.
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Drug-related Crime (Portsmouth, South)
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of crime in the Portsmouth, South constituency was deemed to be drug-related in the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [97280]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Recorded crime figures include statistics on drugs offences, such as possession, and on acquisitive crimes, such as burglary, but do not record whether the latter are related to an offender's drug habits.
However, the New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (NEW-ADAM) research programme, which involves interviewing and drug testing those arrested by the police, confirms a link between drug misuse and crime, although the conclusions do not relate specifically to Portsmouth. Analysis of the data from the first eight sites in the survey, collected during 1999–2000, shows that 65 per cent. of arrestees provided a urine sample that tested positive for one or more illegal drug. The analysis also shows that up to 29 per cent. of arrestees tested positive for opiates (including heroin) and/or cocaine (including crack).
As a guide to the proportion of crime that is drug-related, analysis of the NEW-ADAM self-report data indicate that while only 21 per cent. of non-drug using arrestees reported having previously offended in the past 12 months, this figure rises to 75 per cent. for those arrestees who use heroin and/or cocaine/crack. Moreover, whilst users of both heroin and cocaine/crack represented just under one quarter of all arrestees interviewed, they were responsible for more than three fifths of all the illegal income reported.
In support of this, 55 per cent. of arrestees who reported using one or more drugs in the last 12 months and committing one or more acquisitive crimes, acknowledged a link between their drug use and their offending behaviour. This proportion rose to 78 per cent. for arrestees who said they had used heroin and cocaine/crack.
Elderly People
Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police hours were spent by the Metropolitan Police in the last 12 months for which figures are available on searching for elderly people who have wandered or absconded from (a) their homes or (b) places of residence; and what the total cost was of such exercises. [96993]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 11 February 2003]: The Commissioner for Police of the Metropolis informs me that the information sought is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
Firearms
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcomes of the UK Gun Summit held on 10 January 2003. [96902]
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Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The discussions which my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary chaired on 10 January allowed the Government, representatives of community groups and the law enforcement authorities to engage together to look for solutions to the problem of people carrying and using guns, and the attitudes and experiences which lead them to do so. The meeting looked widely at legislation and law enforcement issues, at community involvement and at the underlying causes of gun crime. We are pursuing a range of follow up actions designed to take this work forward and to encourage and maintain community involvement. We have announced proposals for legislation and we will be making further proposals for action in the coming weeks.
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what co-operation exists between the UK and European police forces to combat illicit firearm trafficking. [96904]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: There is good co-operation between the UK and EU law enforcement agencies in combating illicit firearms trafficking and the UK is represented in a number of international fora aimed at ensuring joint working to combat this threat.
UK law enforcement is active in the Interpol Weapons and Explosives Tracking System (IWETS), the South European Co-operation Initiative (SECI), the United Nations panel of experts for small arms and light weapons tracing and marking (SALW), and the EU Small Arms Policy Committee (SAPC).
UK enforcement agencies have also forged strong bi-lateral links with their European partner agencies in their attempts to tackle the problem of cross border trafficking in small arms and light weapons.
Michael Fabricant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes involving the use of guns were committed in Staffordshire over the last 12 months for which figures are available; and in which locations. [90152]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 14 January 2003]: There were 116 recorded crimes in Staffordshire in the year ending March 2002 which involved firearms (excluding air weapons). Details of the locations of the offences are not available.
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