House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 9 Nov 2004 (pt 14)

9 Nov 2004 : Column 606W—continued

Territorial Army (Iraq)

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Territorial Army soldiers deployed to Iraq since March 2003 have been graded (a) skilled and (b) average in their weapons test. [194164]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 28 October 2004]: Following the conclusion of the Court Martial of Lance Corporal Blaymire and Lance Corporal Sherratt, officials are collating these data. I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Warships

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the replacement of RFA Argus. [194471]

Mr. Ingram: It is currently planned that the Joint Casualty Treatment Ship will replace the medical facility provided by RFA Argus and that other vessels will be able to deploy anti-submarine helicopters. Options for replacing the air training capability provided by RFA Argus are being examined.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of measures taken to tackle antisocial behaviour within the Hornchurch constituency. [194731]

Ms Blears: The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 is the single biggest package of measures tackling antisocial behaviour. They were introduced after widespread

9 Nov 2004 : Column 607W

consultation with communities and practitioners. These powers are part of the Government's Together campaign to help local people and agencies tackle the menace of yob behaviour. The Act and Together apply across all of England and Wales including the hon. Member's Constituency.

Havering Community Safety Partnership (HCSP) are aware that antisocial behaviour is a key concern for residents, and has responded by developing an Antisocial Behaviour Strategy that seeks to develop a co-ordinated approach to tackling antisocial behaviour, by joining up initiatives currently operating in the borough.

The strategy focuses on four key work areas:

Targeting hotspots

Targeting persistent offenders and those at risk

Tackling environmental crime

Protecting and supporting victims and witnesses

Figures released on Thursday 28 October from the National Survey on Antisocial Behaviour show that between April 1999 and June 2004 that the London borough of Havering have issued:

Number

Antisocial Behaviour Orders 5

Dispersal Orders 2

Acceptable Behaviour Contracts 6

	Number
Antisocial Behaviour Orders	5
Dispersal Orders	2
Acceptable Behaviour Contracts	6

I understand from Havering's return to this survey that their overall antisocial behaviour strategy has proved successful in improving community confidence.

Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in Bournemouth since their introduction. [195710]

Ms Blears: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) have been available to the courts since 1 April 1999. The number of notifications received by the Home office of ASBOs issued, up to 30 June 2004 (latest available), where the restrictions imposed are specific to the local government area of Bournemouth, is one.

Communications Interception

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications submitted by public authorities other than MI5, MI6 and GCHQ for authorisation for direct surveillance and the use of covert human intelligence sources were (a) approved and (b) rejected under sections 28 and 29 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 for each year since the inception of the Act. [188050]

Caroline Flint: Numbers of authorisations granted for the carrying out of directed surveillance (under section 28 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA)) or for the conduct or the use of covert human intelligence source (under section 29) are published in the Annual Reports of the Chief Surveillance Commissioner.

Sections 28 and 29 of RIPA came into force on 25 January 2000. The published figures cover include authorisations granted under sections 28 and 29 of

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RIPA, within law enforcement agencies since 1 April 2001 and for other public authorities since 1 April 2003. Details of all authorisations granted within law enforcement agencies and other public authorities have been available to the Surveillance Commissioners for inspection since 2000 but only collected centrally since April 2003.
Section 28 (directed surveillance)

Law enforcement 1 Other public authorities

2000–01 ⁽¹⁶⁾— ⁽¹⁶⁾—

2001–02 27,800 ⁽¹⁶⁾—

2002–03 26,400 ⁽¹⁶⁾—

2003–04 26,986 6,398

⁽¹⁵⁾ The National Criminal Intelligence Service, the National Crime Squad, the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency, HM Customs and Excise and police forces.
⁽¹⁶⁾ Not held centrally.

Section 29 (covert human intelligence source)

Law enforcement Other public authorities

2000–01 ⁽¹⁷⁾— ⁽¹⁷⁾—

2001–02 5,400 ⁽¹⁷⁾—

2002–03 5,900 ⁽¹⁷⁾—

2003–04 5,907 273

⁽¹⁷⁾ Not held centrally

	Law enforcement 1	Other public authorities
2000–01	⁽¹⁶⁾—	⁽¹⁶⁾—
2001–02	27,800	⁽¹⁶⁾—
2002–03	26,400	⁽¹⁶⁾—
2003–04	26,986	6,398

	Law enforcement	Other public authorities
2000–01	⁽¹⁷⁾—	⁽¹⁷⁾—
2001–02	5,400	⁽¹⁷⁾—
2002–03	5,900	⁽¹⁷⁾—
2003–04	5,907	273

Numbers of applications put to persons entitled to grant authorisations under section 28 and 29 of RIPA that have not resulted in the grant of authorisation are not collected centrally.

As the exercise of powers under sections 28 and 29 of RIPA is kept under review by the Intelligence Services Commissioner and not the Chief Surveillance Commissioner, the number of authorisations made by the intelligence services are excluded from the figures published by the Chief Surveillance Commissioner.

Community Support Officers

Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community safety officers are deployed in Cornwall. [195103]

Ms Blears: At the end of September 39 community support officers were deployed in Cornwall.

Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him dated 9 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Dr. Yousef Daabaj. [195519]

Mr. Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 1 November 2004.

Crime

Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) thefts from vehicles, (b) thefts of vehicles and (c) burglaries were recorded in North Tyneside in each of the last 24 months. [193333]

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Ms Blears: The available data are quarterly and relates to the North Tyneside Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area.
Offences recorded by the police in North Tyneside CDRP

Period Thefts from vehicles Thefts of vehicles All burglaries

April-June 2002 321 162 653

July-September 2002 342 134 551

October-December 2002 304 184 678

January-March 2002 299 160 583

April-June 2003 321 168 609

July-September 2003 325 173 471

October-December 2003 326 127 539

January-March 2004 332 165 516

Period	Thefts from vehicles	Thefts of vehicles	All burglaries
April-June 2002	321	162	653
July-September 2002	342	134	551
October-December 2002	304	184	678
January-March 2002	299	160	583
April-June 2003	321	168	609
July-September 2003	325	173	471
October-December 2003	326	127	539
January-March 2004	332	165	516

Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of (a) racially aggravated offences, (b) violent crime, (c) robbery of personal property and (d) drug offences have been recorded in (i) Avon and Somerset constabulary area and (ii) England in each year since 1997. [193871]

Ms Blears: The available information is given in the tables.

Avon and Somerset adopted the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in October 2000 but the force acknowledged a reinforced effort from April 2001 which reflected a further increase in the number of offences recorded. The NCRS was introduced nationally across England and Wales in April 2002. An analysis of the impact of NCRS, both nationally and for individual forces, was published in two companion volumes to 'Crime in England and Wales 2002–03'. Both volumes are available on the Home Office website. The volume covering the national picture is available at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/rdsolr3103.pdf and the volume covering individual forces is available at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/rdsolr3203.pdf

For the reasons outlined, the information requested is provided in separate tables for Avon and Somerset and England.
Table 1: Offences recorded by the police in Avon and Somerset 1

Number of offences

Period Racially aggravated offences⁽¹⁹⁾ Violent crime Robbery of personal property Drug offences⁽²⁰⁾

1997–98 — 13,219 — 461

1998–99⁽²¹⁾ — 14,985 1,694 2,145

1999–2000 240 16,061 2,177 2,017

2000–01 478 19,071 2,573 1,990

2001–02 700 23,670 4,585 1,860

2002–03 900 25,813 3,289 2,308

2003–04 1,256 30,954 2,682 2,457

⁽¹⁸⁾ The force moved to a National Crime Recording Standard approach in advance of the national implementation in April 2002. As a result, their figures may not reflect the picture for England as a whole.
⁽¹⁹⁾ Includes religiously aggravated offences from April 2002.
⁽²⁰⁾ Trafficking in controlled drugs only for 1997–98. Includes possession and other drug offences thereafter.
⁽²¹⁾ Expanded coverage and revised counting rules came into force from April 1998.

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Table 2: Offences recorded by the police in England

Number of offences

Period Racially aggravated offences⁽²²⁾ Violent crime Robbery of personal property Drug offences⁽²³⁾

1997–98 — 332,683 — 21,774

1998–99⁽²⁴⁾ — 571,031 55,645 126,355

1999–2000 21,122 662,521 71,387 113,345

2000–01 24,303 692,563 82,010 105,106

2001–02 29,223 781,906 107,458 113,350

2002–03⁽²⁵⁾ 29,721 935,059 95,735 130,835

2003–04⁽²⁵⁾ 33,584 1,052,602 89,948 131,551

⁽²²⁾ Includes religiously aggravated offences from April 2002.
⁽²³⁾ Trafficking in controlled drugs only for 1997–98. Includes possession and other drug offences thereafter.
⁽²⁴⁾ Expanded coverage and revised counting rules came into force from April 1998.
⁽²⁵⁾ This denotes the national implementation of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. Figures for subsequent years are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

	Number of offences
Period	Racially aggravated offences⁽¹⁹⁾	Violent crime	Robbery of personal property	Drug offences⁽²⁰⁾
1997–98	—	13,219	—	461
1998–99⁽²¹⁾	—	14,985	1,694	2,145
1999–2000	240	16,061	2,177	2,017
2000–01	478	19,071	2,573	1,990
2001–02	700	23,670	4,585	1,860
2002–03	900	25,813	3,289	2,308
2003–04	1,256	30,954	2,682	2,457

	Number of offences
Period	Racially aggravated offences⁽²²⁾	Violent crime	Robbery of personal property	Drug offences⁽²³⁾
1997–98	—	332,683	—	21,774
1998–99⁽²⁴⁾	—	571,031	55,645	126,355
1999–2000	21,122	662,521	71,387	113,345
2000–01	24,303	692,563	82,010	105,106
2001–02	29,223	781,906	107,458	113,350
2002–03⁽²⁵⁾	29,721	935,059	95,735	130,835
2003–04⁽²⁵⁾	33,584	1,052,602	89,948	131,551

Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many alcohol-related crimes have been reported in Bournemouth in each year since 1997. [195711]

Ms Blears: The information requested is not collected centrally.

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