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Terrorist Safeguards
Mr. John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the terrorist safeguards in place in the Solihull and Birmingham areas, with particular reference to (a) tools, (b) legislation and (c) funding. [108801]
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Mr. Blunkett: Safeguards are in place right across the country to combat the threat posed by terrorism. It would not be appropriate in the interests of security to comment on the particular safeguards or operational procedures adopted by a local area. Day to day operational considerations are a matter for the heads of the appropriate authorities in that area.
Before 11 September, the UK already had strong anti-terrorism measures in place. The Terrorism Act 2000 was aimed in large part at reinforcing our response to international terrorism. The Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 further strengthens our existing legislation.
The security and intelligence agencies continue to gather, analyse and assess intelligence, working closely with other agencies, to thwart and disrupt those individuals and organisations involved in the facilitation, preparation or commission of terrorist acts.
£87 million of additional counter terrorism funding was provided by Home Office in 2002–03 which included £14 million for provincial forces to be administered through the Association of Chief Police Officers. Following on from the Budget on 9 April, I announced an additional £331 million over three years to further enhance our present counter-terrorism measures.
Violence against Women
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research and analysis his Department has commissioned into street violence against women. [108156]
Hilary Benn: Police-recorded crime statistics cannot provide information on the proportion of all violent crimes that take place in the street; nor do they provide information on victim characteristics. However information on the location of violence is available from the British Crime Survey (BCS). This found that a quarter of (24 per cent.) all violent crimes took place in the street. The street was the second most common location for violent incidents. The most common location of violence was the home.
Violent crime measured by the BCS can be classified into four sub-groups: domestic, mugging, stranger and acquaintance violence. Women were the victims in 81 per cent. of domestic incidents, 33 per cent. of acquaintance violence incidents, 18 per cent. of incidents of stranger violence and 43 per cent. of muggings.
- Source:
- British Crime Survey 2001–02. Home Office Statistical Bulletin 7/02.
Half of muggings and a quarter of violence involving stranger and acquaintance took place in the street compared to just six per cent. of incidents that could be classified as domestic violence. Separate figures are not published for men and women.
- Source:
- British Crime Survey 2001–02. Home Office Statistical Bulletin 1/03.
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| All violence | Domestic | Mugging | Stranger | Acquaintance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Around the home(9) | 27 | 75 | 22 | 5 | 16 |
| Around work(10) | 8 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 16 |
| Street(11) | 24 | 6 | 49 | 25 | 25 |
| Pub or club(12) | 21 | 3 | 8 | 38 | 23 |
| Transport(13) | 4 | (14)— | 8 | 7 | 2 |
| Other location | 15 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 17 |
| Unweighted | 1440 | 252 | 235 | 511 | 442 |
(9) Includes home premises, whether inside or outside or garage/shed, home car park or nearby street to home.
(10) Includes work premises, whether inside or outside or work garage/car park.
(11) Includes streets near to work/college/sports ground/public entertainment/train or tube stations/subways/park/open spaces/waste/street markets etc.
(12) Includes pubs' and clubs' premises whether inside or in nearby streets or car parks.
(13) Includes train/tube/bus stations, airports. In 2000 'transport' also included travelling in a car or taxi.
(14) Indicates that there were no incidents in this category.
Source:
2001–02 BCS interviews covering crime in the 12 months prior to interview. Excludes 'don't knows'.
In addition to the annual British Crime Survey, the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate commissions other research relevant to the study of street violence.
So far in 2003 the Home Office has published two relevant studies, although neither focus exclusively on women. Home Office Research Study 254 looks at the nature of personal robbery and examined over 2,000 robbery reports in seven police forces areas. Women made up 24 per cent. of robbery victims and six per cent. of offenders. Of those who were victims of robberies, women were more likely than men to be victims of 'snatch robberies': Seven out of 10 robberies where the victim was a women involved property being snatched or grabbed from their person.
Secondly, Home Office Research Study 265 is an evaluation of the TASC project which aimed to reduce alcohol-related violence and disorder, much of which takes place on the streets. This found that 17 per cent. of victims of violence and 12 per cent. of those arrested were women. The report identifies a number of examples of good practice in tackling this form of crime and disorder.
Copies of the Research Development and Statistics Directorate's annual work programme since 1998–99 are in the House of Commons Library. A full list of Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate's publications is available from the website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Affordable Housing
Helen Southworth: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he will take to ensure that where developers gain planning consent for affordable housing for (a) rent and (b) sale, such housing is retained in the affordable sector for subsequent tenants. [109581]
Mr. McNulty: Circular 6/98, "Planning and Affordable Housing", advises that both conditions and planning obligations may legitimately be used, where justified, to achieve the development and use of land in
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a way which ensures that the affordable housing is occupied, either initially or in perpetuity, only by people falling within particular categories of need for affordable housing.
Bus Drivers (Shrewsbury)
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many bus drivers based in Shrewsbury were subjected to (a) verbal and (b) physical attacks in the last year. [109694]
Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
Information on assaults on bus staff is provided to the Department by a sample of the largest bus operators. The sample is not large enough to permit estimates to be made for individual towns.
Growth Areas
Llew Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to paragraph 3.119 of Budget 2003, HC500, how the Government will work closely with regional and local partners to deliver infrastructure, economic development and regeneration in growth areas; and what steps they will take to strengthen local delivery mechanisms to achieve these policy arms. [110172]
Mr. McNulty: The Sustainable Communities Plan, published by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on 5 February 2003, sets out some of the ways in which Government will work with regional and local partners to realise the potential of the growth areas.
The regional planning bodies and local authorities have started work on translating the development proposals for the growth areas into revisions of regional planning guidance so that they set out agreed levels of housing provision and how growth can be delivered. These proposals will be the subject of consultation and testing through examination in public.
New regional steering and delivery groups have been established to bring local and regional partners together to co-ordinate programmes. These include the Regional Development Agencies, English Partnerships and other public sector agencies.
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Additional local delivery mechanisms will also be required to co-ordinate, focus and drive forward major new developments, maximising private sector investment. Consultation is taking place with local authorities and other partners to consider the best approach for each locality to promote development. Any new arrangements will need to be fit for purpose and will operate with the full involvement of the local partners. Various mechanisms are available as no single approach will be suitable in all circumstances.
Over the next three years £446 million will be made available for the Thames Gateway and £164 million for the other growth areas. These resources include an element for setting up and running the local delivery vehicles, as well as site assembly and remediation of brownfield land, and essential local infrastructure. The Planning Delivery Grant will also offer extra resources in the growth areas to help local planning authorities better manage and progress the development process.
These resources cannot pay for all the infrastructure needed to facilitate growth—for example, major transport projects, education and health and private investment.
Government Departments are working together on the needs of the growth areas and with the private sector to look at sources of funding. Alongside other priorities, the Department for Transport is considering the longer-term transport infrastructure needs of the growth areas as part of its review of the 10-Year Transport Plan.
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