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Morecambe Bay Cocklers

16. Geraldine Smith (Morecambe and Lunesdale) (Lab): What action has been taken to deal with foreign nationals working illegally in the Morecambe Bay cockle beds. [183099]

The Minister for Citizenship and Immigration (Mr.   Desmond Browne): The immigration service is working closely with both Cumbria and Lancashire police forces to tackle immigration offences arising from the presence of foreign national cockle pickers in the region. That work includes sharing intelligence, planning disruption strategy and responding to calls for assistance. The immigration service participates in Department for Work and Pensions-led multi-agency enforcement work, and is co-operating in the establishment of a joint enforcement group proposed by the north-west sea fisheries committee. I know that my hon. Friend is aware of 13 visits in the 50-day period between 24 March and 12 May to contact or identify illegal workers, disrupt illegal activity and gather intelligence.

Geraldine Smith: I thank the Minister for that response. I am sure that he is aware that there is widespread public concern about the large numbers of Chinese, suspected illegal, immigrants still working in dangerous conditions on Morecambe bay. Does he accept that there is still a public perception that the Government are turning a blind eye to this problem? That is probably because when Chinese people are picked up and identified as illegal immigrants, they are simply documented and released back into community,
 
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where they are once again vulnerable to exploitation. Can he tell me what his Department intends to do to remedy this unsatisfactory situation?

Mr. Browne: I know that my hon. Friend, who has been consistent and persistent in relation to this issue, as she has a particular constituency interest in it, is fully aware of the extent of the work being done not merely by the police but by the immigration service, the DWP and others in this regard. I rely on her to a degree, as she has the ear of her constituents, to provide assurance that the information that she has been given, often confidentially, proves to be correct in terms of activity in her area. She identifies a significant problem—returning illegal immigrants to China is difficult, as those immigrants tend not to co-operate with the Chinese Government's redocumentation procedures. That issue is at the forefront of our ongoing discussions with the Chinese Government on tackling immigration. We have recently signed a memorandum of understanding with China to take forward our co-operation on illegal immigration, which will provide a framework for progress on increasing removals. In the meantime, we stand ready to continue to assist any Chinese nationals who wish to return voluntarily.

Community Support Officers

18. Helen Jones (Warrington, North) (Lab): What recent assessment he has made of the contribution of community support officers to reducing crime and antisocial behaviour. [183101]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Fiona Mactaggart): At the end of June, there were 3,802 community support officers on patrol, and reports from forces that deploy community support officers indicate that they play a considerable role in reassuring the communities that they serve, that they provide a high-visibility presence, and that they have significant potential for impacting on low-level antisocial behaviour and disorder. A national evaluation is being planned, which will inform the future development of this role.

Helen Jones: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that answer. From my discussions with CSOs in my constituency, and from the time that I have spent out on the streets with them, may I tell her that they make a considerable contribution, not only to providing reassurance for people but to working with other agencies in the area to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour? Will she tell the House when she thinks the assessment of their effectiveness will be completed? What chance is there of making sure that there are more CSOs out and about on our streets to contribute to making the public feel safer?

Fiona Mactaggart: The evaluation of the current achievements of the CSO force will be completed by the end of the year, but I hope my hon. Friend will find that the conclusions of the Home Office strategic plan accord with her ambitions for the improvement of CSO provision.

Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York) (Con): In York and north Yorkshire we do not have too many community support officers, and not too many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued. How can
 
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we ensure that more are issued in the area, given that the Government have made them the main tool for controlling antisocial behaviour?

Fiona Mactaggart: The hon. Lady is right to recognise the importance of adequate numbers of officers to deal with antisocial behaviour issues effectively. That is why 11,000 more police officers have been provided throughout the country since this Government came to power. We find them in every community—in Yorkshire, in Leicestershire and in the west midlands. All over the country there are more police officers, and we have given them the set of tools that they require, including antisocial behaviour orders. It is up to local authorities to ensure that they use the ASBO powers we have given them to tackle this nuisance, rather than tolerate it.

Mr. James Plaskitt (Warwick and Leamington) (Lab): We have 40 community support officers in Warwickshire—they are very welcome, and do an excellent job—as well as a record number of serving police officers. Nevertheless, many communities in my constituency would like a still greater police presence on the streets. CSOs are ideally placed to perform that role, and to develop strong relations with the community. Can my hon. Friend assure us that we will continue to expand the available supply of CSOs?

Fiona Mactaggart: For information about national supply, my hon. Friend will have to wait—as I hinted earlier—for the Home Office strategic plan. I hope that he finds it pleasant reading. He should, however, join us in welcoming the fact that not just Home Office expenditure is ensuring that we have CSOs throughout the country. Nearly 1,000 are funded entirely from other sources. Dealing with crime in our communities is such an important job that communities themselves are willing to raise the resources to provide CSOs who will tackle nuisance behaviour, and I welcome that where it has happened.

Stop and Search

20. Mr. Henry Bellingham (North-West Norfolk) (Con): When he next expects to meet representatives of police forces to discuss policy on stop and search. [183104]

The Minister for Crime Reduction, Policing and Community Safety (Ms Hazel Blears): I have regular meetings with the Association of Chief Police Officers and other police representatives at which stop-and-search issues are discussed. We have recently launched a stop and search action team to ensure that the police use their powers of stop and search fairly, and as effectively as possible. The team will be working with both community representatives and police organisations, including ACPO, the Police Federation and the Police Superintendents Association. Its work is overseen by Baroness Scotland and me.

Mr. Bellingham : Can the Minister confirm that future stop-and-search policy will be based entirely on operational policing requirements and priorities? Does she agree that at a time when the Government were
 
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stepping up measures against terrorist threats, it was wrong of her and other Ministers to criticise the police for recent stop-and-search statistics?

Ms Blears: I gladly confirm that we consider stop and search to be an extremely useful power to the police when it is used in an intelligence-led and targeted fashion. That is why we are determined to ensure, along with the stop and search action team, that it is used in exactly that way.

We have never blamed the police for the current circumstances. What I said was that I was concerned about the disproportionality in the way in which the powers were being used, and would seek to reduce it. I am absolutely determined that the powers will be used both to prevent and detect crime, and just as importantly, to prevent and disrupt terrorism. When they are used properly, they are an extremely important weapon in the armoury of the police.

Sir Patrick Cormack (South Staffordshire) (Con): Does the Minister agree that there would be a public outcry if some terrorist had not been stopped and searched and had subsequently committed an act of terrorism?

Ms Blears: The hon. Gentleman is correct, and I want to place it on the record that the powers under section 44 can be used only when they are authorised by a senior police officer, and then confirmed by me or the Home Secretary. We take that position extremely seriously.


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