Previous Section Index Home Page

2 Mar 2005 : Column 1192W—continued

Nuclear Industry Safety

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many site inspections at nuclear installations did not proceed as a result of the recent work-to-rule by inspectors; [217764]

(2) what the full complement of site inspectors is; and how many are employed in monitoring the safety performance of the nuclear industry. [217765]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 24 February 2005]: No site inspection visits have been cancelled because of the work-to-rule associated with the HSE-wide pay dispute, but some visits have been shorter and have covered fewer topics. Ministers have been advised by the Acting Chief Inspector, Dr. Mike Weightman, that the dispute has not resulted in a less than adequate level of nuclear regulatory oversight to date.

The Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) has a complement of 179 inspectors to provide regulatory oversight of the civil and defence-related nuclear industries. At present there are 164 inspectors in post, and there is a recruitment campaign underway. Inspectors are deployed flexibly across a wide range of inspection,
 
2 Mar 2005 : Column 1193W
 
project management and assessment duties, all of which contribute to delivery of nuclear safety assurance, including performance monitoring.

NII does not have a fixed complement of site inspectors, but has a nominated lead inspector for every site. At present some 46 inspectors are employed full-time on site inspections (including investigations). In addition some inspectors normally employed on assessment work are also carrying out site inspections.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the question tabled by the right hon. Member for Oldham, West and Royton on 10 January, reference 207743. [218704]

Mr. Alexander: I answered the question on 17 January 2005, Official Report, column 696W.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum Seekers

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much central Government grant has been paid to each local authority in England to cover the cost of asylum seeker support in each year since 1996–97. [211919]

Mr. Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 9 February 2005, Official Report, column 1519W.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the payments and grants made by the Government to each local authority in Wales to reimburse the costs of supporting asylum seekers in each year from 1996–97 to the establishment of the Welsh Assembly. [217879]

Mr. Browne: The information requested is not available in the precise format requested. The available information on grant payments to local authorities in Wales in respect of the support of asylum seekers was given to the hon. Member on 9 February 2005, Official Report, column 1519W.

Communicable Diseases

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 8 February 2005, Official Report, column 1469W, on communicable diseases (NHS staff), whether tests for
 
2 Mar 2005 : Column 1194W
 
communicable diseases are (a) compulsory and (b) required before a visa is issued, in those cases where a visa is necessary. [218730]

Mr. Browne [holding answer 28 February 2005]: It is long standing policy that people subject to immigration control who are seeking to enter the UK for more than six months from countries which are high risk for tuberculosis, whether for work or another purpose, should be checked for tuberculosis. High-risk countries are those with an annual incidence rate of over 40 cases of tuberculosis per 100,000 population.

As we made clear in our five-year strategy for asylum and immigration Controlling our borders: Making migration work for Britain (Cm 6472), we will target health screening for tuberculosis in high-risk areas at the entry clearance stage; those who are diagnosed with it would then need to seek treatment at home before being allowed to enter the UK. We are keeping the case for extending routine health checks to diseases other than tuberculosis under review.

Departmental Costs

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on the production of in-house magazines in the Department in each year since 1997. [213638]

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office produces one departmental internal magazine centrally, Inside Track. Costs of production are held since April 1998 as follows:
£
1998–99109,000
1999–200087,000
2000–01125,000
2001–02134,000
2002–03171,000
2003–04174,000
2004–05(12)143,000


(12) To January 2005.


Costs of other internal publications in the different business areas of the department are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of staff surveys in the Department was in each year since 1997. [213676]

Fiona Mactaggart: Staff surveys are regularly undertaken within the Home Office to assist understanding of organisational issues and pressures. External survey professionals are used to conduct these surveys and historical trends are evaluated. These surveys have the benefit of concentrating the department's efforts on issues which are considered to be problems by its staff. The cost of conducting the staff survey in the Department are set out in the table.
£

199719992000200120032004
Non-Agency Home OfficeCost not availableCost not availableCost not available120,475No survey75,459
Prison ServiceNo surveyNo survey30,00040,00047,700(13)23,000
United Kingdom Passport ServiceNo survey22,150No survey22,25035,904No survey
Forensic Science ServiceNo surveyNo survey12,61910,17516,0508,490


(13) This is the estimated cost of the 2004 survey. The reduction in cost can be attributed primarily from the transfer from a paper based survey to an electronically disseminated questionnaire.





 
2 Mar 2005 : Column 1195W
 

Departmental Policies

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Burnley constituency, the effects on Burnley of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [214718]

Fiona Mactaggart: The Government have put in place policies in the areas of crime reduction, antisocial behaviour, policing and active communities that are yielding considerable benefits for the Burnley constituency, as well as for all parts of the UK.

For example, between March 1997 and March 2004, the number of police officers in the Lancashire police force increased by 332 from 3,247 to 3,579. The Government's introduction of community support officers (CSOs) in 2002 has put 117 CSOs on Lancashire police force streets to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. Between 1997 and 2003–04, Lancashire police force area has seen a reduction in recorded domestic burglary crimes of 41 per cent. and in recorded vehicle crimes of 39 per cent.

Lancashire police will receive £190.8 million in general grants for 2005–06, an increase of 4.31 per cent. (£7.9 million) over last year. Lancashire police also gains around £0.4 million from the amending report for 2003–04, bringing the overall increase to 4.52 per cent. General grants funding to Lancashire has increased by 29.9 per cent. between 1997–98 and 2005–06. In addition to general grants, Lancashire will also receive around £17.4 million in specific grants funding for targeted initiatives and capital provision in 2005–06. The distribution of resources locally is a matter for the police authority and the chief constable.

As crime prevention requires action across communities, every area has had a local crime and disorder reduction partnership (CDRP) since 1998 which brings together the police, health services, drugs agencies and council and community representatives to decide how to prevent and deter crime and antisocial behaviour.

The Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) was a pioneering government intervention programme which ran for three years from April 1999 in England and Wales and took an evidence-based approach to crime reduction. Grants of over £340 million were allocated to over 1,470 projects, including CCTV, under 20 initiatives that formed part of the programme. One CCTV project in the Burnley CDRP area received a total of £426,000 from the CRP.

Since 2001, successive initiatives have provided direct funding to each of the 376 crime and disorder reduction Partnerships in England and Wales. These initiatives include Communities Against Drugs, the Safer Communities Initiative, the Small Retailers in Deprived Areas scheme and the Building Safer Communities Fund. Since 2001, a total of £760,658 has been allocated to Burnley CDRP under these initiatives. A further £2.3 million has been provided over the two years 2003–04 and 2004–05 to the Home Office regional director in the north west for CDRP capacity building across the region.
 
2 Mar 2005 : Column 1196W
 

It is estimated that out of a million active offenders, 100,000 have three or more convictions and are responsible for half of all crime. There is a Prolific and other Priority Offenders (PPO) scheme in Burnley set up to target those offenders who cause a disproportionate amount of crime, disorder and antisocial behaviour in the community.

The Government's crime reduction website provides further information on the work being done to reduce crime across the country, including information about action and results in local areas. It is available at http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk.

New legislation has given local agencies a raft of powers, from antisocial behaviour orders to local dispersal orders and crack house closure powers, to work with local people to tackle antisocial behaviour and nuisance. In Burnley a total of 51 antisocial behaviour orders have been issued as of 10 February 2005. Local contacts for tackling antisocial behaviour can be found on http://www.together.gov.uk/authority.asp.

Tackling Drug Misuse is a priority of this Government and their policy is set out in the 10 year National Drug Strategy launched in 1998 and updated in December 2002. (A copy of the Updated Drug Strategy 2002 is held in the Library.) Under this, the Government have invested substantially in measures to reduce the harms caused by illegal drugs, focussing on the four strands of:

Direct annual funding nationally to tackle drug misuse amounted to £1,244 million in 2003–04, rising to £1,344 million in 2004–05. Burnley has seen a significant increase in direct funding for tackling drugs, in particular for drug treatment services and the throughcare and aftercare elements of the Drugs Intervention Programme. In 2003–04 the allocation for Lancashire Drug Action Team amounted to £5.47 million, rising to £7.61 million in 2004–05. Details of action taken to tackle drugs in the Burnley constituency can be obtained from the Lancashire Drugs Action Team, for contact details see http://www.drugs.gov.uk/Links/DrugActionTeams.

The Government are working to ensure that citizens, communities and the voluntary sector are more fully engaged in tackling social problems, and there is more equality of opportunity and respect for people of all races and religions. Active community participation in England has increased by 1.5 million people between 2001 and 2003. Charities have been supported more effectively, and £125 million is being invested across the country through the futurebuilders" fund in voluntary and community organisations that help provide valuable public services. Advice on ways to engage local people in helping their communities is available on the Active Citizenship Centre website http://www.active-citizen.org.uk.
 
2 Mar 2005 : Column 1197W
 

The Home Office allocated £305,000 community support team funding (2002–04) for Burnley borough council. This funding covered four strands of work: leadership and change management (focusing on training and capacity building for members and officers) as well as providing managerial support, consultation and communications, youth and conflict resolution and race and community relations work.

To support strong and active communities in which people of all races and backgrounds are valued, the Home Office funded a Community Cohesion Pathfinder in East Lancashire for 18 months ending September 2004. Burnley borough council was one of five authorities that made up the East Lancashire Pathfinder (known as East Lanes Together—ELT). The other areas included in this were Pendle, Rossendale, Lancashire county council and Hyndburn.

ELT, for example, set up three different funding streams, which together distributed £275,000 to over 40 bodies and produced 20 Young Community Champions. Through this work, Community Empowerment Networks have run conflict resolution workshops; schools from very different areas have linked up; and local community groups have run multiracial sports and arts events.

This year, 2005, is the year of the Volunteer which is being delivered by the Home Office in partnership with Community Service Volunteers and Volunteering England. This will include a whole range of events in local communities across the country that aim to celebrate the contribution which volunteers make to the quality of people's lives, and encourage more people to volunteer. We are particularly keen to encourage young people, black and minority ethnic groups, those with no qualifications and disabled people to get involved. More details can be found at www.yearofthevolunteer.org .

Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in the Home Office annual report and in the strategic plan for 2004–08, available on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk.

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Huddersfield constituency, the effects on Huddersfield of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [216873]

Fiona Mactaggart: The Government have put in place policies in the areas of crime reduction, antisocial behaviour, policing and active communities that are yielding considerable benefits for the Huddersfield constituency, as well as for all parts of the UK.

For example, between March 1997 and March 2004, the number of police officers in the West Yorkshire police force increased by 104 from 5,209 to 5,313. The Government's introduction of community support officers (CSOs) in 2002 has put 298 CSOs on West Yorkshire streets to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. Between 1997 and 2003–04, West Yorkshire has seen a reduction in recorded domestic burglary crimes of 23 per cent. and in recorded vehicle crimes of 6 per cent.
 
2 Mar 2005 : Column 1198W
 

West Yorkshire police will receive £313.6 million in general grants for 2005–06, an increase of 4.95 per cent. (£14.7 million) over 2004–05. West Yorkshire police also gains around £0.6 million from the amending report for 2003–04, bringing the overall increase to 5.15 per cent. General grants funding to West Yorkshire has increased by 31.7 per cent. between 1997–98 and 2005–06. In addition to general grants, West Yorkshire will also receive around £26.1 million in specific grants funding for targeted initiatives and capital provision in 2005–06. The distribution of resources locally is a matter for the police authority and the chief constable.

As crime prevention requires action across communities, every area has had a local crime and disorder reduction partnership (CDRP) since 1998 which brings together the police, health services, drugs agencies and council and community representatives to decide how to prevent and deter crime and antisocial behaviour.

The Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) was a pioneering government intervention programme which ran for three years from April 1999 in England and Wales and took an evidence-based approach to crime reduction. Grants of over £340 million were allocated to over 1,470 projects, including CCTV, under 20 initiatives that formed part of the programme. Four CCTV projects in the Kirklees CDRP area (which includes Huddersfield constituency) received a total of £438,650 from the CRP.

Since 2001, successive initiatives have provided direct funding to each of the 376 crime and disorder reduction partnerships in England and Wales. These initiatives include Communities Against Drugs, the Safer Communities Initiative, the Small Retailers in Deprived Areas scheme and the Building Safer Communities Fund. Since 2001, a total of £2.07 million has been allocated to Kirklees CDRP under these initiatives. A further £1.8 million has been provided over the two years 2003–04 and 2004–05 to the Home Office regional director in the Yorkshire and the Humber for CDRP capacity building across the region.

It is estimated that out of a million active offenders, 100,000 have three or more convictions and are responsible for half of all crime. There is a Prolific and other Priority Offenders (PPO) scheme in Kirklees set up to target those offenders who cause a disproportionate amount of crime, disorder and antisocial behaviour in the community.

The Government's crime reduction website provides further information on the work being done to reduce crime across the country, including information about action and results in local areas. It is available at http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk.

New legislation has given local agencies a raft of powers, from antisocial behaviour orders to local dispersal orders and crack house closure powers, to work with local people to tackle antisocial behaviour and nuisance. In Kirklees a total of 66 antisocial behaviour orders have been issued as of 21 February 2005. Kirklees is also one of 50 communities across the country that have been designated as 'Together Action Areas' and are set to get extra help to tackle antisocial
 
2 Mar 2005 : Column 1199W
 
behaviour. Local contacts for tackling antisocial behaviour can be found on http://www.together.gov.uk/authority.asp.

Tackling Drug Misuse is a priority of this Government and their policy is set out in the 10 year National Drug Strategy launched in 1998 and updated in December 2002. (A copy of the Updated Drug Strategy 2002 is held in the Library.) Under this, the Government have invested substantially in measures to reduce the harms caused by illegal drugs, focusing on the four strands of:

Direct annual funding nationally to tackle drug misuse amounted to £1,244 million in 2003–04, rising to £1,344 million in 2004–05. Kirklees has seen a significant increase in direct funding for tackling drugs, in particular for drug treatment services and the throughcare and aftercare elements of the Drugs Intervention Programme. In 2003–04 the allocation for Kirklees Drug Action Team amounted to £2.32 million, rising to £3.06 million in 2004–05. Details of action taken to tackle drugs in Huddersfield constituency can be obtained from the Kirklees Drugs Action Team, for contact details see http://www.drugs.gov.uk/Links/DrugActionTeams.

The Government are working to ensure that citizens, communities and the voluntary sector are more fully engaged in tackling social problems, and there is more equality of opportunity and respect for people of all races and religions. Active community participation in England has increased by 1.5 million people between 2001 and 2003. Charities have been supported more effectively, and £125 million is being invested across the country through the futurebuilders fund in voluntary and community organisations that help provide valuable public services. Advice on ways to engage local people in helping their communities is available on the Active Citizenship Centre website http://www.active-citizen.org.uk.

To support strong and active communities in which people of all races and backgrounds are valued, in 2003 the Home Office allocated from the Connecting Communities Fund a total of £590,000 to two, three-year projects in the Kirklees area. A Voluntary Action Kirklees project (grant £338,812) is supporting the development of Asian women's networks to promote greater community involvement from Asian women. Outcomes include partnership work with South Asian Healthy Living to run a confidence project and fitness training programmes. A Kirklees Racial Equality Council project (grant £251,718) is being launched in April 2005 and will see a series of seven faith resource centres, reflecting the major faiths, set up across Kirklees, with books, displays and other information materials. The centres will provide a unique educational experience for local school children and others wishing to learn more about faiths and cultures within Kirklees.

Kirklees has also benefited from participation in the 18-month Community Cohesion Pathfinder Programme, established and launched in 2002 by the
 
2 Mar 2005 : Column 1200W
 
Home Office and the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Kirklees was one of 14 successful Pathfinders and was granted £285,000 to explore the best ways of building strong, active, and harmonious communities. Key outcomes from the programme included the 'Learning Lessons' report, which, by establishing what levels of community cohesion already existed, provided a basis for moving forward; and the Stories in a suitcase" project, which encouraged people over 50 in the community to create a story board reflecting where they had come from. This project was popular with both white and Asian residents living in Kirklees and helped change local perceptions about the differences between community groups.

This year, 2005, is the year of the Volunteer which is being delivered by the Home Office in partnership with Community Service Volunteers and Volunteering England. This will include a whole range of events in local communities across the country that aim to celebrate the contribution which volunteers make to the quality of people's lives, and encourage more people to volunteer. We are particularly keen to encourage young people, black and minority ethnic groups, those with no qualifications and disabled people to get involved. More details can be found at www.yearofthevolunteer.org.

Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in the Home Office Annual Report and in the Strategic Plan for 2004–08, available on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk.

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Pendle constituency, the effects on Pendle of his Department's policies and activities since 2 May 1997. [214981]

Fiona Mactaggart: The Government have put in place policies in the areas of crime reduction, antisocial behaviour, policing and active communities that are yielding considerable benefits for the Pendle constituency, as well as for all parts of the UK.

For example, between March 1997 and March 2004, the number of police officers in the Lancashire Police Force increased by 332 from 3,247 to 3,579. The Government's introduction of community support officers (CSOs) in 2002 has put 117 CSOs on Lancashire's streets to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. Between 1997 and 2003–04, Lancashire CDRP has seen a reduction in recorded domestic burglary crimes of 41 per cent. and in recorded vehicle crimes of 39 per cent.

Lancashire Police will receive £190.8 million in general grants for 2005–06, an increase of 4.31 per cent. (£7.9 million) over last year. Lancashire Police also gains around £0.4 million from the Amending Report for 2003–04, bringing the overall increase to 4.52 per cent. General grants funding to Lancashire has increased by 29.9 per cent. between 1997–98 and 2005–06. In addition to general grants, Lancashire will also receive around £17.4 million in specific grants funding for targeted initiatives and capital provision
 
2 Mar 2005 : Column 1201W
 
in 2005–06. The distribution of resources locally is a matter for the police authority and the chief constable.

As crime prevention requires action across communities, every area has had a local Crime and Disorder reduction Partnership (CDRP) since 1998 which brings together the police, health services, drugs agencies and council and community representatives to decide how to prevent and deter crime and antisocial behaviour.

The Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) was a pioneering Government intervention programme which ran for three years from April 1999 in England and Wales and took an evidence-based approach to crime reduction. Grants of over £340 million were allocated to over 1,470 projects, including CCTV, under 20 initiatives that formed part of the programme. One CCTV project in the Pendle CDRP area, which includes the Pendle constituency, received a total of £201,000 from the CRP.

Since 2001, successive initiatives have provided direct funding to each of the 376 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in England and Wales. These initiatives include Communities Against Drugs, the Safer Communities Initiative, the Small Retailers in Deprived Areas scheme and the Building Safer Communities Fund. Since 2001, a total of £543,187 has been allocated to Pendle CDRP under these initiatives. A further £2.3 million has been provided over the two years 2003–04 and 2004–05 to the Home Office Regional Director in the North West for CDRP capacity building across the region.

It is estimated that out of a million active offenders, 100,000 have three or more convictions and are responsible for half of all crime. There is a Prolific and other Priority Offenders (PPO) scheme in Pendle set up to target those offenders who cause a disproportionate amount of crime, disorder and antisocial behaviour in the community.

The Government's crime reduction website provides further information on the work being done to reduce crime across the country, including information about action and results in local areas. It is available at http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk.

New legislation has given local agencies a raft of powers, from antisocial behaviour orders to local dispersal orders and crack house closure powers, to work with local people to tackle antisocial behaviour and nuisance. In Pendle a total of 16 antisocial behaviour orders have been issued as of 22 February 2005. Local contacts for tackling antisocial behaviour can be found on http://www.together.gov.uk/authority.asp

Tackling Drug Misuse is a priority of this Government and its policy is set out in the 10 year National Drug Strategy launched in 1998 and updated in December 2002. (A copy of the Updated Drug Strategy 2002 is held in the Library.) Under this, the Government have invested substantially in measures to reduce the harms caused by illegal drugs, focussing on the four strands of:


 
2 Mar 2005 : Column 1202W
 

Direct annual funding nationally to tackle drug misuse amounted to £1,244 million in 2003–04, rising to £1,344 million in 2004–05. Pendle has seen a significant increase in direct funding for tackling drugs, in particular for drug treatment services and the throughcare and aftercare elements of the Drugs Intervention Programme. In 2003–04 the allocation for Lancashire Drug Action Team amounted to £5.47 million, rising to £7.61 million in 2004–05. Details of action taken to tackle drugs in the Pendle constituency can be obtained from the Lancashire Drugs Action Team, for contact details see http://www.drugs.gov.uk/Links/DrugActionTeams

The Government are working to ensure that citizens, communities and the voluntary sector are more fully engaged in tackling social problems, and there is more equality of opportunity and respect for people of all races and religions. Active community participation in England has increased by 1.5 million people between 2001 and 2003. Charities have been supported more effectively, and £125 million is being invested across the country through the futurebuilders" fund in voluntary and community organisations that help provide valuable public services. Advice on ways to engage local people in helping their communities is available on the Active Citizenship Centre website http://www.active-citizen.org.uk

To support strong and active communities in which people of all races and backgrounds are valued, the Home Office funded a Community Cohesion Pathfinder in East Lancashire for 18 months ending September 2004. Pendle borough council was one of five authorities that made up the East Lancashire Pathfinder (known as East Lanes Together—ELT). The other areas included in this were Burnley, Rossendale, Lancashire county council and Hyndburn. ELT, for example, set up three different funding streams, which together distributed £275,000 to over 40 bodies and produced 20 Young Community Champions. Through this work, Community Empowerment Networks have run conflict resolution workshops; schools from very different areas have linked up; and local community groups have run multiracial sports and arts events.

This year, 2005, is the year of the Volunteer which is being delivered by the Home Office in partnership with Community Service Volunteers and Volunteering England. This will include a whole range of events in local communities across the country that aim to celebrate the contribution which volunteers make to the quality of people's lives, and encourage more people to volunteer. We are particularly keen to encourage young people, black and minority ethnic groups, those with no qualifications and disabled people to get involved. More details can be found at www.yearofthevolunteer.org

Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in the Home Office Annual Report and in the Strategic Plan for 2004–08, available on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk
 
2 Mar 2005 : Column 1203W
 

Mrs. Fitzsimons: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Rochdale constituency, the effects on Rochdale of his Department's policies and actions since 1997. [217373]

Fiona Mactaggart: The Government have put in place policies in the areas of crime reduction, antisocial behaviour, policing and active communities that are yielding considerable benefits for the Rochdale constituency, as well as for all parts of the UK.

For example, between March 1997 and March 2004, the number of police officers in the Greater Manchester Police Force increased by 1,189 from 6,922 to 8,111. The Government's introduction of Community Support Officers (CSOs) in 2002 has put 229 CSOs on Greater Manchester's streets to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. Between 1997 and 2003–04, the Greater Manchester Police Force area has seen a reduction in recorded domestic burglary crimes of 16 per cent. and in recorded vehicle crimes of 29 per cent.

Greater Manchester Police Force will be receiving £412.5 million in general grants for 2005–06, an increase of 4.89 per cent. (£19.3 million) over 2004–05. Greater Manchester also gains around £0.8 million from the Amending Report for 2003–04, bringing the overall increase to 5.1 per cent. General grants funding to Greater Manchester Police has increased by 30 per cent. between 1997–98 and 2005–06. In addition to general grants, Greater Manchester will also receive around £39 million in specific grants funding for targeted initiatives and capital provision in 2005–06. The distribution of resources locally is a matter for the Police Authority and the Chief Constable.

As crime prevention requires action across communities, every area has had a local Crime and Disorder reduction Partnership (CDRP) since 1998 which brings together the police, health services, drugs agencies and council and community representatives to decide how to prevent and deter crime and antisocial behaviour.

The Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) was a pioneering government intervention programme which ran for three years from April 1999 in England and Wales and took an evidence-based approach to crime reduction. Grants of over £340 million were allocated to over 1,470 projects, including CCTV, under 20 initiatives that formed part of the programme. Two CCTV projects in the Rochdale CDRP area received a total of £209,536 from the CRP.

Since 2001, successive initiatives have provided direct funding to each of the 376 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in England and Wales. These initiatives include Communities Against Drugs, the Safer Communities Initiative, the Small Retailers in Deprived Areas scheme and the Building Safer Communities Fund. Since 2001, a total of £1.6 million has been allocated to Rochdale CDRP under these initiatives. A further £1.8 million has been provided over the two years 2003–04 and 2004–05 to the Home Office Regional Director in the North West for CDRP capacity building across the region.
 
2 Mar 2005 : Column 1204W
 

It is estimated that out of a million active offenders, 100,000 have three or more convictions and are responsible for half of all crime. There is a Prolific and other Priority Offenders (PPO) scheme in Rochdale set up to target those offenders who cause a disproportionate amount of crime, disorder and antisocial behaviour in the community.

The Government's Crime Reduction Website provides further information on the work being done to reduce crime across the country, including information about action and results in local areas. It is available at http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk.

New legislation has given local agencies a raft of powers, from antisocial behaviour orders to local dispersal orders and crack house closure powers, to work with local people to tackle antisocial behaviour and nuisance. In Rochdale a total of 54 antisocial behaviour orders have been issued as of 17 February 2005. Local contacts for tackling antisocial behaviour can be found on http://www.together.gov.uk/authority.asp.

Tackling Drug Misuse is a priority of this Government and their policy is set out in the 10 year National Drug Strategy launched in 1998 and updated in December 2002. (A copy of the Updated Drug Strategy 2002 is held in the Library). Under this, the Government have invested substantially in measures to reduce the harms caused by illegal drugs, focussing on the four strands of:

Direct annual funding nationally to tackle drug misuse amounted to £1,244 million in 2003–04, rising to £1,344 million in 2004–05. Rochdale has seen a significant increase in direct funding for tackling drugs, in particular for drug treatment services and the throughcare and aftercare elements of the Drug Intervention Programme. In 2003–04 the allocation for Rochdale Drug Action Team amounted to £2.04 million, rising to £2.31 million in 2004–05. Details of action taken to tackle drugs in the Rochdale constituency can be obtained from the Rochdale Drug Action Team, for contact details see http://www.drugs.gov.uk/Links/DrugActionTeams.

The Government are working to ensure that citizens, communities and the voluntary sector are more fully engaged in tackling social problems, and there is more equality of opportunity and respect for people of all races and religions. Active community participation in England has increased by 1.5 million people between 2001 and 2003. Charities have been supported more effectively, and £125 million is being invested across the country through the 'futurebuilders' fund in voluntary and community organisations that help provide valuable public services. Advice on ways to engage local people in helping their communities is available on the Active Citizenship Centre website http://www.active-citizen.org.uk.
 
2 Mar 2005 : Column 1205W
 

Rochdale was one of the founder members of the Home Office's Civic Pioneers network which now includes 14 local authorities in England. As a 'Civic Pioneer', a local authority shows its commitment to involving and engaging local people in decision making processes and in the design and delivery of local services, so that their involvement in local decision-making can be more diverse, constructive, sustained and rewarding. Rochdale has pioneered devolution to Area Forums and has been innovative in devising ways to engage and motivate young people at risk of offending, through schemes like Junior Wardens and projects to improve the local environment.

To support strong and active communities in which people of all races and backgrounds are valued, the Home Office funded a Community Cohesion Pathfinder in Rochdale over 18 months from April 2003. This invested £150,000 via the local authority and £90,000 via voluntary and community sector partners. The Rochdale Community Cohesion Pathfinder focused on the complexity, diversity and distinctiveness of the local communities and put community partnership at the centre of the programme. Activities engaged a broad cross of people in the borough and included cultural and sports projects, local voluntary and community activity and activities developed by young people themselves. Examples of activity are the Sports United project which targeted territorialism and tension among local young people through the medium of sport and the Multi-faith partnership which promoted dialogue, learning and understanding between different faiths. Rochdale local authority achieved Beacon status for community cohesion.
 
2 Mar 2005 : Column 1206W
 

This year, 2005, is the year of the Volunteer which is being delivered by the Home Office in partnership with Community Service Volunteers and Volunteering England. This will include a whole range of events in local communities across the country that aim to celebrate the contribution which volunteers make to the quality of people's lives, and encourage more people to volunteer. We are particularly keen to encourage young people, black and minority ethnic groups, those with no qualifications and disabled people to get involved. More details can be found at www.yearofthevolunteer.org .

Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in the Home Office Annual Report and in the Strategic Plan for 2004–08, available on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk.


Next Section Index Home Page