House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 8 Sept 2003 (pt 15)

8 Sept 2003 : Column 53W—continued

US Military Sites

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which military sites in the UK are leased to the US Government; when each military base was first leased; what the date for termination is in each case; and what parliamentary approval was sought for the present lease arrangements; [127141]

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Mr. Ingram: As I stated in my answer to my hon. Friend on 10 July 2003, Official Report, column 940W, there are no such lease arrangements. Neither have we plans to enter into any such arrangements.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the arrangements are for the storage and possible deployment of nuclear weapons from military bases leased to the United States Government. [127143]

Mr. Ingram: The use of facilities on United Kingdom territory by the United States is a matter for joint decision by the two Governments in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the time. No UK military bases are leased to the United States.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether an individual accused of trespass onto a military base in the UK leased to the United States Government will be tried by (a) US and (b) British justice; [127145]

Mr. Ingram: No United Kingdom military bases are leased to the United States Government. Military bases are made available to the US visiting forces under the NATO Status of Forces Agreement of 1951, and other additional confidential agreements. An individual accused of trespass on to one of these bases would be subject to British justice, with any decision on prosecution being taken by UK authorities.

Activities taking place on such bases is a matter for joint decision between the UK and US Governments in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the time.

War Pensions (East Devon)

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are in receipt of war and war widows' pensions in East Devon. [128129]

Mr. Caplin: As at 31 March 2003, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 1,220 war disablement pensions and 235 war widows pensions in payment to people in East Devon.

Warship Deployments

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy warships are at sea without their full complement. [127113]

Mr. Ingram: As at 27 August, the Destroyer HMS Manchester, Frigates, HMSs Cornwall, Kent, Lancaster, Norfolk, Portland, Sutherland, Mine Counter Measure ships HMSs Quorn, Atherstone, Penzance and Cottesmore, the Survey Ship HMS Scott and the Patrol Vessel HMS Leeds Castle are at sea without full complements. Ships' complements are, however, carefully matched to the demands of operational tasking. Manning across the Fleet is constantly monitored to ensure that the sufficient levels of manpower are maintained for both current and contingent operations.

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HOME DEPARTMENT

Pensioners

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to enable pensioners to participate more fully in community activities [128135]

Fiona Mactaggart: The Government has a target of increasing community participation by five per cent by 2006. We believe that increasing the engagement of older people in their communities is particularly important.

The Home Office Active Community Unit leads the cross Government effort to achieve the target. It provides strategic funding for organisations such as Reach, RSVP and the Experience Corps to increase the levels of volunteering by older people. Funding is also given to several mentoring projects that involve older people either as the mentors or mentess.

The ACU also works with other Government Departments to achieve the target, such as the recent collaboration with the Department of Work and Pensions on the production of a pre-retirement pack.

The strategy for increasing community participation is currently being reviewed. Any new strategy will maintain a focus on older volunteers, both at national and local level.

Asylum

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications have been made in Northern Ireland since 1 January. [126572]

Beverley Hughes: No statistics are kept on the numbers of asylum applicants in Northern Ireland, or any other geographic region in the UK, except by port of application. The requested information could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.

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Mr. Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers he has to ensure that the Law Society complies in full with requests by the Immigration Services Commissioner for disclosure of information in respect of complaints against solicitors in asylum and immigration cases. [126830]

Beverley Hughes: We are considering the comments made about The Law Society in the Immigration Services Commissioner's Annual Report for 2002–03 and will discuss them with my right hon. Friend The Lord Chancellor before deciding what action to take.

Correspondence

Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Glasgow Shettleston to the MPCS section of Immigration and Nationality Directorate Croydon of 23 February, 7 April, 12 May and 12 June regarding Mr.Abdullah Turgut. [126511]

Beverley Hughes: I understand that the Immigration and Nationality Directorate replied to your letters of 23 February, 7 April, 12 May and 12 June on 17 July.

Crime (Rural Areas)

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the level of crime in rural areas in the 12 months up to (a) 31 March 1999, (b) 31 March 2001 and (c) 31 March 2003. [125892]

Ms Blears: According to the British Crime Survey (BCS) 2000, the BCS 2001, Crime in England and Wales 2001–02 and Crime in England and Wales 2002–03, levels of crime were substantially lower in rural areas than in non-rural areas in 1999, 2000 and the 12 months to March 2002 and March 2003. Data are not available for the 12 months to March 2001 due to the methodological changes in the BCS from calendar to financial year. The available information on crime levels for this period is as follows:

Incidence of crime per 10,000 households

BCS 2000 Crime in 12 months to December 1999 BCS 2001 Crime in 12 months to December 2000 BCS 2001–02 Interviews in 12 months to March 2002 BCS 2002–03 Interviews in 12 months to March 2003

Rural Non-rural Rural Non-rural Rural Non-rural Rural Non-rural

Burglary 340 665 234 560 236 499 272 **488

Violent crime 506 937 543 645 398 748 *497 **715

Vehicle related theft⁽⁵⁾ 1,258 1,990 938 1,787 1,015 1,686 **932 **1,563

	BCS 2000 Crime in 12 months to December 1999	BCS 2001 Crime in 12 months to December 2000	BCS 2001–02 Interviews in 12 months to March 2002	BCS 2002–03 Interviews in 12 months to March 2003
	Rural	Non-rural	Rural	Non-rural	Rural	Non-rural	Rural	Non-rural
Burglary	340	665	234	560	236	499	272	**488
Violent crime	506	937	543	645	398	748	*497	**715
Vehicle related theft⁽⁵⁾	1,258	1,990	938	1,787	1,015	1,686	**932	**1,563

⁽⁵⁾ Based on vehicle owners only.

Notes:

1. Data for BCS 2000, 2001–02 and 2002–03 uses the new calibration weights, data for BCS 2001 does not.

2. The statistical significance of changes between BCS 2000 and BCS 2002–03 and also between BCS 2001–02 and BCS 2002–03 has been calculated.

* Indicates a statistically significant change between BCS 2001–02 and BCS 2002–03 (there has been a statistically significant rise between BCS 2001–02 and BCS 2002–03 in rural violent crime and a statistically significant fall in non-rural vehicle related theft).

** Indicates a statistically significant change between BCS 2000 and BCS 2002–03 (there have been statistically significant falls between BCS 2000 and BCS 2002–03 in rural vehicle related theft and in non-rural burglary, violent crime and vehicle related theft).

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The likelihood of becoming a victim of crime is also substantially lower in rural areas than non-rural areas during these periods. In 2002–03, 18 per cent. of victims of burglary lived in rural areas, similarly only

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16 per cent. of victims of violence and 20 per cent. of victims of vehicle related theft (based on vehicle owners only) lived in rural areas. The available data is set out as follows.

Prevalence of Crime (percentage of victim once or more)

BCS 2000 Crime in 1999 BCS 2001 Crime in 2000 BCS 2001–02 Interviews in 12 months to March 2002 BCS 2002–03 Interviews in 12 months to March 2003

Rural Non-rural Rural Non-rural Rural Non-rural Rural Non-rural

Burglary 2.6 4.8 1.9 3.9 2.0 3.9 2.5 3.7

Violent crime 2.6 4.7 2.4 4.1 2.4 4.5 2.9 4.4

Vehicle related theft⁽⁶⁾ 9.0 14.0 6.9 12.5 7.9 12.6 7.7 11.8

	BCS 2000 Crime in 1999	BCS 2001 Crime in 2000	BCS 2001–02 Interviews in 12 months to March 2002	BCS 2002–03 Interviews in 12 months to March 2003
	Rural	Non-rural	Rural	Non-rural	Rural	Non-rural	Rural	Non-rural
Burglary	2.6	4.8	1.9	3.9	2.0	3.9	2.5	3.7
Violent crime	2.6	4.7	2.4	4.1	2.4	4.5	2.9	4.4
Vehicle related theft⁽⁶⁾	9.0	14.0	6.9	12.5	7.9	12.6	7.7	11.8

⁽⁶⁾ Based on vehicle owners only.

Note:

1. Data for BCS 2001–02 and 2002–03 uses the new calibration weights, data for BCS 2000 and 2001 do not.

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