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15 Jan 2004 : Column 881W—continued
Correspondence
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 16 October 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Miriam Adebeshin; [141584]
- (2) when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 4 November 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miriam Adebeshin; [144642]
(3) when he will reply to the letter to him dated 16 October 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miriam Adebeshin; [147614]
(4) when he will reply to the letter to him dated 12 October 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Miriam Adebeshin; [142953]
(5) when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 16 October 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Miriam Adebeshin. [145961]
Mr. Blunkett: I replied to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, on 12 January 2004.
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he will reply to the letter to him dated 4 November 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. John Alosine Bangura; [147616]
- (2) when he will reply to the letter to him dated 4 November 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. John Alosine Bangura; [144637]
(3) when he will reply to the letter to him dated 4 November 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. John Alosine Bangura; [145964]
Mr. Blunkett: I replied to the right hon. Member on 8 January 2004.
Crime
Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what expenditure has been allocated to (a) St. Helens, (b) Merseyside and (c) the North West region to tackle crime in each year since 1992. [141292]
Ms Blears: General grants to police authorities are unhypothecated to particular purposes and may be used as each police authority and chief officer decide, to
15 Jan 2004 : Column 882W
support local policing plans. Government grant takes into account the whole range of policing activity, including tackling crime.
It is a matter for the Chief Constable and Police Authority to decide on the distribution of resources within the force area.
Police funding allocated to Merseyside and the North West is set out in the following tables. These figures also include specific grants agreed for particular purposes.
| Government grant(15) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Merseyside | North West(16) | |
| 1992–93(17) | n/a | n/a |
| 1993–94(17) | n/a | n/a |
| 1994–95(17) | n/a | n/a |
| 1995–96 | 196.92 | 752.65 |
| 1996–97 | 203.40 | 789.41 |
| 1997–98 | 207.64 | 805.79 |
| 1998–99 | 213.22 | 834.17 |
| 1999–2000 | 215.31 | 852.13 |
| 2000–01 | 222.23 | 884.26 |
| 2001–02(18) | 234.24 | 939.82 |
| 2002–03(18) | 238.42 | 962.04 |
| 2003–04 | 253.72 | 1,022.16 |
(15) Government Grant includes Home Office police grant, ODPM Revenue Support Grant and non-national domestic rates, Crime Fighting Fund, Rural Policing Grant, Basic Command Unit funding, Community Support Officer funding, DNA Expansion Programme, Street Crime Initiative and Special Priority payments.
(16) The North West region is policed by Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside forces.
(17) Before 1995–96, when most Police Authorities became independent local authorities, revenue support grant and non-national domestic rates were paid as part of respective county council grant funding.
(18) The grant figures for 2001–02 and 2002–03 are not directly comparable, owing to changes from 2002–03 in the method of funding the National Crime Squad and the National Criminal Intelligence Service. These bodies became centrally rather than locally funded.
In addition, Merseyside and the North West forces received the following funding in capital grant, including Airwave and the Premises Improvement Fund.
| Merseyside | North West Region | |
|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | 6.69 | 22.54 |
| 1996–97 | 5.46 | 17.73 |
| 1997–98 | 6.64 | 19.05 |
| 1998–99 | 3.52 | 12.92 |
| 1999–2000 | 3.13 | 13.46 |
| 2000–01 | 3.97 | 17.59 |
| 2001–02 | 3.94 | 45.46 |
| 2002–03 | 14.0 | 36.56 |
| 2003–04 | 9.52 | 34.96 |
Drug Intervention Policies
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what effect drug intervention policies have had over the last five years in reducing (a) drugs crime, (b) drugs use and (c) drugs deaths. [146754]
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Caroline Flint: The Updated Drug Strategy 2002 aims to concentrate resources on the most dangerous drugs, the most damaged communities and those individuals whose addiction and chaotic lifestyles are the most harmful.
Indicators of the effect of the strategy include:
(a) Drug crime (including supply)
The level of seizure of drugs and drug related assets is one indicator of the effectiveness of policies to reduce the supply of illegal drugs. Recently, over £20 million worth of cocaine was seized in one of the UK's biggest ever drugs operation, while over £37 million, suspected of being the proceeds of crime or intended for use in crime, has been recovered.
The Government are also addressing drug related crime—which includes high levels of acquisitive crime such as theft and burglary—by getting more offenders out of crime and into treatment. The numbers of problematic drug users entering treatment in 2002–03 increased by 41 per cent. to 140,900, against a baseline of 100,000 in 1998–99. In April 2003, the Criminal Justice Intervention Programme (CJIP) was introduced to break the link between drugs and crime and is now operating in the 25 Drug Action Team areas with the highest level of acquisitive crime. It will be extended to a further 22 DATs in 2004–05.
Data from the British Crime Survey (2003) demonstrate reductions in overall levels of drug use. For Young People (16 to 24-year-olds):
- Reported use of Class A drugs in the last year has remained stable since 1996. Around 8 per cent. of young people had used a Class A drug in the last year;
Since 1998, those individuals reporting use of any illicit drug in the last year decreased from 31.8 per cent. to 28.1 per cent.;
Large decreases have been seen in the use of amphetamines (9.9 per cent. to 3.7 per cent.) and hallucinogens (5.3 per cent. to 2.0 per cent.) in the last year since 1998. However the number of individuals reporting cocaine use in the last year has increased from 3.1 per cent. in 1998 to 4.7 per cent. in 2002–03; and
Among young people cannabis use has remained stable since 1998. In 2002–03 25.8 per cent. said that they had used it in the last year.
- Since 1998, those reporting use of any illicit drug in the last year has remained stable at approximately 12 per cent. in 2002–03, while those individuals reporting use of Class A drugs in the last year has slightly increased (2.7 per cent. to 3.3 per cent.);
Since 1998, there have been increases in last year use of cocaine (1.2 per cent. to 2.1 per cent.), crack (0.1 per cent. to 0.2 per cent.) and ecstasy (1.5 per cent. to 2.0 per cent.), although decreases in reported use of amphetamines (3.0 per cent. to 1.6 per cent.) during this period; and
Among 16 to 59-year-olds cannabis use has remained stable since 1998. In 2002–03 10.9 per cent. said that they had used it in the last year.
Department of Health figures for England and Wales indicate that there was a steady increase in the number of drug related deaths between 1993 and 2000, when 1,662 drug related deaths were recorded. In 2001 the number of drug related deaths decreased to 1,623.
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The Government produced "The Action Plan to Prevent Drug-Related Deaths" in 2001. The implementation of this action plan is expected to make a vital contribution to reducing drug-related deaths.
Eurostar Terminal (Ashford)
Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the staffing levels were at the Immigration and Customs posts at the Eurostar Terminal in Ashford on Friday 28 November between 18.00 and 00.00. [144902]
Beverley Hughes: The immigration office at the Ashford Eurostar Terminal is normally staffed from 0700 hrs. until 2300 hrs. by immigration officers based at Cheriton.
On the evening of Friday 28 November, the immigration control was staffed as normal until 23:00 hrs. At least one officer was in attendance during the whole of that period. Officers do not control arrivals that have been cleared either at the juxtaposed controls in Paris, or that have been cleared on board. All cleared trains are notified to the office in advance. Only one train that evening had been cleared prior to arrival in Ashford.
Customs regularly deploy anti-smuggling teams to Ashford on a risk-assessed basis. They also participate in occasional joint exercises with other Control authorities such as the Immigration Service and the British Transport police. However on the 28 November there were no customs officers in attendance at Ashford due to a special exercise taking place at Waterloo International Terminal.
Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Immigration and Customs posts at the Eurostar Rail Terminal in Ashford are staffed at all times; and if he will make a statement. [144903]
Beverley Hughes: The immigration office at the Ashford Eurostar Terminal is normally staffed from 0700 hours until 2300 hours by immigration officers based at Cheriton.
Officers are scheduled to attend for all Eurostar arrivals which have not been pre-cleared. Immigration officers do not control arrivals that have been fully cleared either at the juxtaposed controls in Paris, or on board. All cleared trains are notified to the office in advance.
Customs deploy anti-smuggling teams to Ashford on a risk-assessed basis. They also participate in occasional joint exercises with other Control authorities such as the Immigration Service and British Transport police.
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