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20 Jun 2006 : Column 1826W—continued



20 Jun 2006 : Column 1827W
River Wye
Cubic metres
2004 2005

January

2,824,006

2,418,956

February

2,572,504

1,827,142

March

2,674,162

11,516,887

April

2,581,641

2,540,052

May

2,391,498

3,035,505

June

3,340,550

3,458,862

July

3,509,541

4,075,843

August

3,326,877

2,980,020

September

3,294,570

2,746,270

October

2,702,291

2,707,629

November

2,455,457

2,716,335

December

3,583,783

2,559,602

Total

35,256,880

42,583,103


Home Department

Alcohol Misuse and Enforcement Campaign

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much will be made available to police through the Alcohol Misuse and Enforcement Campaign between (a) 9 June and 9 July and (b) 10 July and 10 August, broken down by constabulary. [77652]

Mr. McNulty [holding answer 14 June 2006]: The latest Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign (AMEC) ran from 8 May 2006 until 8 June 2006 with an additional £2.35 million provided to local forces and trading standards authorities for this period. One key purpose of this campaign was to set the tone of acceptable behaviour and how the use of alcohol would be policed both for the World Cup and the summer. The campaign did not extend into the period of the World Cup itself, as the police service has its own well-established plans for policing during major sporting events which are funded through the service’s mainstream resources.

Animal Experiments

Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of Government guidelines on the treatment of animals used in scientific experimentation; and if he will make a statement; [77683]

(2) what assessment he has made of the merits of strengthening Government guidelines on the treatment of animals in scientific experimentation; and if he will make a statement. [78438]

Joan Ryan: It has long been our policy to assess and satisfy the welfare needs of animals bred and used under the licensing controls of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. We are working to ensure that the highest possible standards of animal welfare are applied to animals used in scientific procedures and that they are used only where it is fully justified, where the benefits outweigh the costs and where there are no suitable alternatives.

The animals must be housed and cared for in accordance with codes of practice published and laid before Parliament under the 1986 Act. These codes set
20 Jun 2006 : Column 1828W
standards which have to be met as a requirement of licence conditions, and the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate closely monitors compliance. In their report published in July 2002, the House of Lords Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures recognised the progress that had been made since the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 came into force in fostering a culture of care towards animals used in scientific procedures in establishments designated under that legislation.

The culture of care in the United Kingdom is indeed probably better than anywhere else in the world, and we remain committed to maintaining and improving that position. United Kingdom standards and best practice have been used extensively to inform revised guidance on the accommodation and care of laboratory animals adopted on 15 June 2006 by the Council of Europe.

The new guidelines include a considerable increase in the minimum amount of space that must be allocated to animals. This will help to promote more group accommodation and a more stimulating and interesting environment for the animals. In anticipation of their adoption, we have for some time been advising United Kingdom users to work to the Council of Europe draft guidelines. The United Kingdom codes of practice will be revised to reflect these improved practices, where necessary, in due course.

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that animals used in laboratory experiments are kept in adequate conditions. [78580]

Joan Ryan [holding answer 19 June 2006]: It has long been our policy to assess and satisfy the welfare needs of animals bred and used under the licensing controls of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. We are working to ensure that the highest possible standards of animal welfare are applied to animals used in scientific procedures and that they are used only where it is fully justified, where the benefits outweigh the costs and where there are no suitable alternatives.

The animals must be housed and cared for in accordance with codes of practice published and laid before Parliament under the 1986 Act. These codes set standards which have to be met as a requirement of licence conditions, and the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate closely monitors compliance. In their report published in July 2002, the House of Lords Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures recognised the progress that had been made since the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 came into force in fostering a culture of care towards animals used in scientific procedures in establishments designated under that legislation.

The culture of care in the United Kingdom is indeed probably better than anywhere else in the world, and we remain committed to maintaining and improving that position. United Kingdom standards and best practice have been used extensively to inform revised guidance on the accommodation and care of laboratory animals adopted on 15 June 2006 by the Council of Europe.


20 Jun 2006 : Column 1829W

The new guidelines include a considerable increase in the minimum amount of space that must be allocated to animals. This will help to promote more group accommodation and a more stimulating and interesting environment for the animals. In anticipation of their adoption, we have for some time been advising United Kingdom users to work to the Council of Europe draft guidelines. The United Kingdom codes of practice will be revised to reflect these improved practices, where necessary, in due course.

Antisocial Behaviour

Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures to tackle antisocial behaviour have been introduced by his Department since 1997; and what the take-up for each measure has been to date in (a) Dudley and (b) the West Midlands. [77145]

Mr. McNulty: Building and enforcing a modern culture of respect and tackling antisocial behaviour is a priority for the Government. On 10 January the Government published the Respect Action Plan. The plan is central to the Government's drive to step up and broaden the clampdown on antisocial behaviour and to promote good behaviour.

Prior to this the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 put in place a range of measures to tackle antisocial behaviour and gave local agencies the tools they need to tackle antisocial behaviour on the ground. Key measures in the Act include:

The Housing Act 2004 also contained important measures to enable landlords to tackle antisocial behaviour. A survey of Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and Community Safety Partnerships in England and Wales in 2005 found that:

Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) were introduced under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and have been available since April 1999. In Dudley 30 ASBOs have been issued between April 1999 and September 2005. 552 ASBOs have been issued in the West Midlands during the same period.


20 Jun 2006 : Column 1830W

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in each London borough in each year since their inception, broken down by (a) age and (b) sex; and if he will make a statement. [75541]

Mr. McNulty: The available information is given in tables which will be placed in the Library.

Building Safer Communities Fund

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding from the Building Safer Communities Fund has been allocated to (a) Leeds city council and (b) the basic command units of West Yorkshire Police within the Leeds city council district in each of the last three years. [76933]

Mr. McNulty: The information is as follows:

Cannabis

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average number of grammes of cannabis found on people charged with possession of cannabis was in each of the last five years. [77159]

Mr. Coaker: The requested information is not collected centrally.

CCTV

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he made of the cohesiveness of Government, local authority, town and parish council funding streams for developing a viable and robust network of CCTV cameras; [76931]

(2) how much central Government funding has been spent on CCTV cameras in the area covered by Leeds city council in each of the last five years; [76932]

(3) how much funding for CCTV cameras has been allocated by town and parish councils in the Leeds city council district in each of the last three years. [76934]

Mr. McNulty: There is continuing interest in the further development of CCTV across the country. The Government offices in the regions have a role in ensuring all interested parties, including local authorities and town and parish councils are involved, both in the planning and in finding the appropriate funds. Although there is no National CCTV strategy at the moment, work is under way to produce one by the end of the
20 Jun 2006 : Column 1831W
year. Under the Crime Reduction Programme, Central Government provided £869,000 funding during 2001-02 for Leeds Watch Local, a CCTV scheme under the second round of the CCTV initiative. Money has been made more widely available since then through general crime reduction funding streams, for example under the Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF).The allocation for CCTV cameras in the Leeds city council district over the last three years was £2,170,000. Exact figures at town and parish council level are not held but funding, where allocated locally, was split fairly equally at approximately £720,000 each year.

Community Support Officers

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding the Government have provided for police community support officers in each police force in each of the last five years. [75901]

Mr. McNulty: The table gives details of Government funding to police authorities for police community support officers (PCSOs) in the four years since they were first appointed.


20 Jun 2006 : Column 1832W
£000
Total
2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06( 1)

Avon and Somerset

57.5

415.2

845.9

1,856.6

Bedfordshire

0.0

59.5

234.4

543.6

Cambridgeshire

66.5

376.2

644.4

1,050.8

Cheshire

42.0

208.9

387.3

712.3

City of London

0.0

0.0

43.2

388.9

Cleveland

300.0

1,022.4

1 ,069.4

1,310.7

Cumbria

0.0

0.0

111.4

360.8

Derbyshire

0.0

0.0

210.2

1,012.3

Devon and Cornwall

153.6

606.5

780.0

1,043.8

Dorset

86.8

145.1

333.6

603.3

Durham

54.9

125.2

339.4

760.1

Dyfed Powys

0.0

23.7

175.2

508.5

Essex

62.4

278.8

1,068.1

1 ,958.5

Gloucestershire

0.0

174.5

434.1

1,000.6

Greater Manchester

1 ,263.2

3,388.7

3,250.2

4,136.0

Gwent

147.3

708.5

943.2

1 ,582.6

Hampshire

0.0

0.0

111.8

559.7

Hertfordshire

121.4

501.8

663.9

1,030.2

Humberside

0.0

0.0

96.6

480.5

Kent

71.7

582.6

909.7

1,432.1

Lancashire

672.7

1 ,644.0

1 ,673.8

2,603.7

Leicestershire

234.8

640.5

657.5

1,316.7

Lincolnshire

147.6

559.4

680.0

1,111.7

Merseyside

167.6

845.9

1,183.4

3,484.7

Metropolitan Police

6,400.0

15,474.5

17,241.6

21,001.8

Norfolk

136.0

389.3

547.9

836.6

North Wales

0.0

52.6

204.5

1 ,040.9

North Yorkshire

0.0

298.0

515.4

907.6

Northamptonshire

199.0

262.2

427.2

639.9

Northumbria

0.0

176.5

712.5

2,077.5

Nottinghamshire

104.2

400.3

949.6

1,674.5

South Wales

0.0

276.7

760.2

1 ,889.3

South Yorkshire

208.4

289.0

590.4

1 ,343.6

Staffordshire

0.0

15.2

325.2

1,192.3

Suffolk

0.0

60.2

260.0

641.6

Surrey

350.0

1,093.6

1,136.7

1,418.1

Sussex

111.2

703.9

1,004.3

1,500.1

TVP

0.0

34.1

370.8

2,077.6

Warwickshire

119.8

262.2

480.7

786.0

West Mercia

68.4

283.2

536.8

781.4

West Midlands

0.0

205.9

1,072.1

2,566.4

West Yorkshire

534.2

2,030.4

3,150.0

4,689.3

Wiltshire

63.8

373.6

398.8

596.8

Total

11,945.0

34,988.8

47,531.4

78,510.0

(1 )Subject to audit

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