| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
5 Jul 2004 : Column 548W—continued
Crime/Policing (Lancashire)
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours on average police spent on patrol in the streets in Lancashire in the last year for which figures are available. [180395]
Ms Blears: The information sought by my hon. Friend is not collected centrally.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the effect of Crime and Disorder Partnerships in Chorley. [180418]
Ms Blears:
The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) in Chorley is an effective partnership bringing together some 40 partner agencies
5 Jul 2004 : Column 549W
with contributions from across the local authority (Chorley borough council, CBC), the Police, Fire Service and Youth Offending Teams (YOT). Partnership meetings are attended by as many as 25–30 people. The CDRP is developing a closer working relationship with the Lancashire Drug Action Team.
The partnership is assessed as working well by the Government Office in the North West (GONW). It has had a significant impact on crime and disorder over the last two years, with substantial reductions recorded in domestic burglary and theft of and from vehicles. There have been increases in violent crime, youth nuisance and criminal damage although changes in police recording of violent crime and criminal damage have affected the levels reported.
The council has reviewed its youth policy and appointed an antisocial behaviour co-ordinator who has developed a strategy to tackle ASB and set up an action group drawing on a range of agencies including CBC Housing, Housing Associations, Lancashire Constabulary, Y.O.T. and Lancashire Fire and Rescue. Any agency can bring a problem to the monthly meeting and all agencies have input on how best to deal with the problem.
Some good practice and recent initiatives by the CDRP include
the introduction of alley gates, which have been well received within the community and led to a number of enquiries about the expansion of the scheme,
the deployment of six Neighbourhood Wardens since 2003,
the appointment of an Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator in June 2003,
a Railway Watch scheme,
and CCTV systems, which have recently, been refurbished and upgraded from analogue to digital.
The CDRP underwent a self-assessment between January and March 2004 and has produced a Partnership Improvement Plan which will be used by the GONW to assist them in supporting the development of the partnership. The partnership is now engaged in the next round of triennial audits of crime and disorder and misuse of drugs.
Curfews
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many curfews have been issued in respect of (a) up to 11-year-olds and (b) up to 15-year-olds since their inception. [175471]
Paul Goggins: The available information relates to the number of juveniles aged 10 to 15 years who have received a curfew order at court, in England and Wales from 1998 to 2002, and is contained in the table.
| Aged 10 to 11 years | Aged 12 to 15 years | |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | — | 45 |
| 1999 | 1 | 100 |
| 2000 | 1 | 52 |
| 2001 | 7 | 568 |
| 2002 | 13 | 1,077 |
5 Jul 2004 : Column 550W
Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the autumn.
Custodial Sentences
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) women and (b) juveniles were given a custodial sentence by courts in Wales in each month since January 2003. [168639]
Paul Goggins: Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the autumn.
Domestic Violence
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have been killed by a parent within the context of domestic violence in each of the last five years for which statistics are available; and what the gender of the (a) child and (b) parent was in each case. [178353]
Paul Goggins: The latest available information on homicide is published in Home Office Statistical Bulletin number 01/04, "Crime in England and Wales 2002/2003: Supplementary Volume 1: Homicide and Gun Crime". It provides information on the gender of victims and the relationship of victim to suspect. The Bulletin does not specify either the gender of suspects causing the death of their own children or whether the homicide was within the context of domestic violence.
In England and Wales, the numbers of homicide victims under 16 years killed by their parents are given in the table.
| Son | Daughter | |
|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 32 | 25 |
| 1999–2000 | 29 | 19 |
| 2000–01 | 46 | 34 |
| 2001–02 | 30 | 11 |
| 2002–03 | 29 | 26 |
Note:
Figures are as at 13 November 2003 and are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police, by the courts or as further information becomes available.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the Inter-Ministerial Group on Domestic Violence has met during the past year. [178991]
Paul Goggins: The Inter-Ministerial Group on Domestic Violence meets quarterly. Over the last 12 months it has met in October 2003, January 2004 and April 2004. It will next meet in July.
Entry Clearance
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 May 2004, Official Report, column 568W, on entry clearance standards, on what date each reporting mechanism was established; how many individuals have contacted the (a) hotline and (b) website to date; and how many contacts have resulted in action being taken. [180135]
Mr. Browne:
The telephone hotline was set up on 30 March 2004 and the e-mail address box on 25 March 2004. There have been eight callers to the telephone hotline since it was set up.
5 Jul 2004 : Column 551W
Since the website was established, 31 responses have been received by members of staff. A wide range of staffing and management issues have been raised, all of which have been responded to and taken forward as appropriate.
All those who have made contact through either facility receive a response, unless they wish to remain anonymous.
EU Accession Countries
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the change in numbers of citizens from EU accession countries travelling to the UK since the expansion of the European Union. [181577]
Mr. Caborn: I have been asked to reply.
Data on the number of visits to the UK from overseas residents, by country of residence, are available from the International Passenger Survey. A special monthly analysis of the number of visits from residents of the EU accession countries is being produced and is available at the following web address: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=12222&More=n
So far data have been released up to April. Data for May, the first since the expansion of the European Union, will be released on Wednesday 7 July.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been brought against persons from the new EU member states who drive without (a) a licence, (b) insurance and (c) due care and attention. [181248]
Caroline Flint: Information is not collected centrally on the nationality of drivers prosecuted for motoring offences.
EU Judicial Agenda
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to advance the judicial agenda of the EU. [180168]
Paul Goggins: The Government have actively supported the current EU judicial co-operation agenda, as set out in the Conclusions of the 1999 European Council held in Tampere, Finland, and in the subsequent Justice and Home Affairs work programme (1999–2004). On the basis of a UK initiative these Conclusions established the principle of mutual recognition of member states judicial decisions as the basis for judicial co-operation in the EU.
The UK has since been a strong supporter of key mutual recognition instruments, such as the Framework Decision on the European Arrest Warrant and surrender procedures between member states, and the Framework Decision on the execution in the European Union of orders freezing property or evidence. These measures, and more like them, will help to ensure that criminals cannot evade justice in another member state, but without compromising the different legal traditions of member states.
5 Jul 2004 : Column 552W
The 2005–2010 Justice and Home Affairs work programme is currently being negotiated. The Government aim to ensure that the principle of mutual recognition remains the cornerstone of judicial co-operation within the EU.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |