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HOME OFFICE
Scrap it" Campaign
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons his Department plans to withdraw funding for the Scrap It campaign. [7216]
Hazel Blears: The Home Office has provided more than £13 million over three years until March 2006 with the aim of kick starting abandoned vehicle removal in London. From the outset, it was agreed that the scheme would be funded for three years, with the long-term goal for all partners to have in place good procedures and practice to continue vehicle removal after the funding ended.
We are delighted with the success of the Scrap It scheme which has enabled more than 30,000 (98 per cent.) vehicles confirmed as untaxed or abandoned to be removed within 72 hours of reporting. This has made a significant impact on the numbers of vehicles reported as abandoned, which fell to 220,000 vehicles in 2003–04. In April 2005, the British Crime Survey also recorded a significant reduction in people perceiving abandoned or burnt out cars as a very or fairly big problem in their area.
Acts of Parliament (Internet Access)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to make all Acts of Parliament published before 1988 for which his Department is responsible available online. [3720]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) within the Cabinet Office is the Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament, and responsible for the publication of Acts of Parliament. HMSO has considered the publication of Acts prior to 1988, which is the earliest date when these were available electronically, but has decided not to do so as many have been heavily amended and to publish them in their original form would be misleading for many users. The Government are, however, taking forward development of a Statute Law Database which will contain the fully revised and updated text of all legislation from 1275. It is expected that this will be made available to the general public during 2006.
Additional Police Officers (Funding)
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contractual relationship is entered
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into when a local authority funds additional police officers; and whether funding is (a) on the basis of full cost recovery and (b) is guaranteed for a fixed period. [5030]
Hazel Blears: Under section 92 of the Police Act 1996 the council of a county, district, county borough or London borough may make grants to any police authority established under section three of the Act whose police area falls wholly or partly within the county, district, county borough or borough. Grants under this section may be made unconditionally or, with the agreement of the chief officer of police for the police area concerned, subject to conditions. The details of any agreement are a matter for negotiation between the council, police authority and chief officer concerned.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has approved the contract to be signed between Gloucestershire county council and Gloucestershire police authority to meet the new administration's commitment to the employment of 60 new police officers. [5031]
Hazel Blears: I understand that the chief constable of Gloucestershire Constabulary (Dr. Tim Brain QPM), the police authority and the county council are discussing a possible grant by the council to the authority. Section 92 of the Police Act 1996 makes provision for such grants, which do not require the approval of the Home Secretary.
African Children
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken since September 2001 to prevent the importation of children from Africa to be murdered as human sacrifices in churches; and if he will make a statement. [6765]
Mr. McNulty: Since September 2001 the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) has taken forward several initiatives aimed at identifying vulnerable children on arrival in the UK:
Taking forward the recommendations of Operation Paladin—a multi-agency project led by the Metropolitan police aimed at protecting children.
An interviewing minors course has been available to staff in the Immigration Service since November 2004, providing specialist training in the skills needed to recognise signs of abuse as well as an awareness of the potential issues.
In June 2004 the IND Children's Taskforce was set up to address new duties and responsibilities imposed on agencies by the Children Act 2004.
The vulnerability of children who arrive unaccompanied in the United Kingdom is recognised and every effort is made to establish the bona-fides of the person they are meeting and the purpose of their visit. Social Services are alerted in all cases where an immigration officer has concerns for the welfare of the child.
Agency Funding
Mr. Hoban:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding the (a) Youth Crime Programme Board, (b) Crime Reduction Delivery Board, (c) Penalty Notices for Disorder Operational Working Group, (d) Prolific and Other Priority
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Offenders Programme Board and (e) Safer Schools Partnership Steering Group has received from (i) his Department and (ii) the Youth Justice Board for 2005–06. [4900]
Paul Goggins: I understand from the Secretary of State for Education and Skills that there is no programme budget to cover the Youth Crime Programme Board as it is classed as routine business. The costs of these meetings are absorbed by normal running costs allocated across the Children, Young People and Families Directorate in the Department for Education and Skills.
The Safer Schools Partnership Steering Group is also chaired by the Department for Education and Skills. This board received £300,000 last year. Funding for 2005–06 is still under negotiation.
No specific budgets are allocated to the Crime Reduction Delivery Board, the Penalty Notices for Disorder Operational Working Group or the Prolific and other Priority Offenders Programme Board from either the Home Office or the Youth Justice Board. Again, the costs of these meetings are absorbed by normal running costs allocated across the Home Office.
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued to minors in each of the last five years, broken down by age. [4605]
Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the following table.
(33)Between 1 April 1999 and 31 May 2000 data were collected on aggregate numbers only by police force area (pfa).
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in each of the last four years for which figures are available; and what proportion were issued to persons under 18 years. [5156]
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Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the table.
(34)Latest available.
(35)January to September.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been served on people with (a) mental health problems and (b) disabilities. [7236]
Hazel Blears: Information is not collected centrally about the characteristics of persons issued with an antisocial behaviour order.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the latest figures are for the numbers of occasions on which antisocial behaviour orders have been breached; and when figures will be updated. [7237]
Hazel Blears: The currently available information on the number of occasions on which antisocial behaviour orders have been breached is 2,053. This figure is based on those orders issued, as reported to the Home Office, between 1 June 2000 and 31 December 2003 and covers all breach occasions within that period.
Breach data for 2004 will be available towards the end of the year.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what types of behaviour antisocial behaviour orders have been used; and how many antisocial behaviour orders have been used for each type of behaviour. [7238]
Hazel Blears: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) are commonly used to tackle general unruly behaviour such as verbal abuse, harassment, graffiti and noise nuisance. However, they have also been used to combat racial harassment, drunk and disorderly behaviour, vehicle crime and prostitution. The wide range of antisocial behaviour that can be tackled by ASBOs illustrates their flexibility.
Data collated by the Home Office for statistical purposes does not identify the circumstances that led to the issuing of an ASBO.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the effectiveness of antisocial behaviour orders will be evaluated; and what the criteria for the evaluation will be. [7239]
Hazel Blears:
From the summer we will be conducting an evaluation of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs). The criteria for evaluation will be based on key research questions. These questions will focus on the extent and
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circumstances under which ASBOs are effective in tackling antisocial behaviour, and how ASBOs work as part of wider strategies to tackle antisocial behaviour.
Published findings from this work will be available in 2006.
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