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29 Nov 2007 : Column 634W—continued

Animal Experiments: Licensing

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans she has to (a) reduce information requirements and (b) streamline transaction processes for applications for project licences for scientific procedures on animals; [167696]

(2) what estimate her Department has made of the costs to animal research businesses and other organisations of applications for project licences for scientific procedures on animals. [167698]

Meg Hillier [holding answer 26 November 2007]: The Home Office Simplification Plan published in December 2006 includes a target to reduce the compliance costs arising from the regulation of animal experiments by 25 per cent. by 2010, whilst maintaining proper provision for animal welfare. Work towards the target is being taken forward in a dedicated better regulation programme. This work includes looking at how we might reduce information requirements and streamline transaction processes for applications for project licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

Since January 2007, we have delivered a number of quick wins involving improvements to forms and processes and we have also completed preliminary work, including consultation with practitioners, to identify potential options for longer term improvements to our regulatory processes. Amongst other things, we are now working on the development of a new, shorter project licence application form and project licence templates and worked examples.

We have not separately estimated the costs to the scientific community associated with applications for project licences. However, an administrative burden on business, excluding the academic sector, has been identified and priced at £6.95 million per annum. These costs include those arising from all aspects of regulation under the 1986 Act, including personal and project licences, certificates of designation, local ethical review processes and training.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of the breach rate of antisocial behaviour orders. [167537]

Mr. Coaker: The latest data available for the breach rate for antisocial behaviour orders is for the period 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2005 and is 47 per cent. overall (57 per cent. for juveniles and 41 per cent. for adults with 3 per cent. age unknown). Analysis of the 2003 ASBO breach data showed that 55 per cent. of those who breached their ASBO received a custodial sentence, the average length of which was three to six months.

Assets Recovery Agency: Belfast

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by the Assets Recovery Agency in Belfast on (a) salaries, (b) travel and (c) subsistence in each financial year since its creation. [168491]

Mr. Coaker: The information requested is set out in the table.

Assets Recovery Agency—Belfast
£
	Salaries	Travel	Subsistence	Total
2003-04	853,290.71	132,669.13	10,198.68	996,158.52
2004-05	1,140,561.60	122,309.70	8,198.28	1,271,069.58
2005-06	1,744,716.65	215,453.24	16,602.17	1,976,772.06
2006-07	1,626,255.58	114,016.31	16,331.58	1,756,603.47

29 Nov 2007 : Column 635W

Asylum: Essex

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) adults and (b) children seeking asylum were resident in (i) Southend and (ii) each local authority in Essex in (A) the latest period for which figures are available, (B) 1997, (C) 2001, (D) 2005 and (E) 2006. [167396]

Mr. Byrne: The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records, at disproportionate cost.

Statistics on supported asylum seekers, broken down by age, are not available. The location of those asylum seekers not in receipt of support is not available.

Separate arrangements exist for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC), who are supported by local authorities; the local authority receives funding from the Home Office for this purpose. As at the end of March 2007 an estimated 5,000 UASCs were supported by local authorities; this figure is based on the latest available management information and a regional breakdown is not available.

The numbers of asylum seekers in receipt of support, broken down by Government office region and local authority, are published on a quarterly and annual basis. Copies of these publications are available from the Library of the House and the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Further breakdowns, of those in receipt of support by parliamentary constituency, are also available from the Library of the House.

Asylum: Newcastle upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people (a) entered and (b) left accommodation supported by the National Asylum Support Service or the Border and Immigration Agency in Newcastle upon Tyne in each quarter in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006 and (iii) 2007. [168888]

Mr. Byrne: The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records, at disproportionate cost.

The numbers of asylum seekers in receipt of support broken down by Government office region and local authority are published on a quarterly and annual basis. Copies of these publications are available from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Further breakdowns, of those in receipt of support by parliamentary constituency, are also available from the Library of the House.

29 Nov 2007 : Column 636W

Asylum: Religious Freedom

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were granted asylum on grounds of religious persecution in each year since 2002, broken down by country of origin. [168519]

Mr. Byrne: This information is not available and could be obtained only by examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.

Information on asylum applications, initial decisions and appeals by nationality are published quarterly and annually. Copies of these publications are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Crime

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) level and (b) rate per 1,000 population in (i) England and (ii) each London borough was of (A) crime, (B) homicide, (C) violence against the person, (D) rape, (E) personal robbery, (F) robberies from businesses, (G) residential burglary, (H) non-residential burglary, (I) gun-related crime, (J) motor vehicle crime, (K) domestic crime and (L) racial crime in the most recent period for which figures are available. [166947]

Mr. Coaker: Data for gun-related crime refer to the offences involving firearms (excluding air weapons) that have been recorded by the police. Data for 2005-06 is the most recently available and is given in Table A.

From the information collected centrally on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify recorded cases of domestic crime. Such offences are not specifically defined by law and details of the individual circumstances of offences are not collected. Data for the remaining crime types requested are given for 2006-07 in Table B.

Table 1: Firearm offences (excluding air weapon offences) recorded( 1) and the rate per 1,000 population—2005-06
	Offences recorded	Rate per 1,000 population
Total London(2)	3,884	0.52
Total England	10,851	0.22
(1) Includes all offences involving firearms (excluding air weapons), where a weapon has been fired, used as a blunt instrument or used in a threat. (2) Includes the City of London police and the Metropolitan Police Service.

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29 Nov 2007 : Column 638W

Table 2: Offences recorded and the rate per 1,000 population for specified offence groups and areas
	Total recorded crime		Homicide( 1)		Violence against the person		Rape
	Offences recorded	Rate per 1,000 population	Offences recorded	Rate per 1,000 population	Offences recorded	Rate per 1,000 population	Offences recorded	Rate per 1,000 population
Barking and Dagenham	21,384	129.98	9	0.05	5,150	31.30	68	0.41
Barnet	29,920	90.75	5	0.02	5,512	16.72	67	0.20
Bexley	16,997	77.15	(5)—	(5)—	3,742	16.99	35	0.16
Brent	30,474	112.83	4	0.01	6,216	23.02	93	0.34
Bromley	28,424	94.14	4	0.01	5,697	18.87	46	0.15
Camden	42,435	187.68	7	0.03	6,586	29.13	70	0.31
City of Westminster	66,267	271.18	4	0.02	8,413	34.43	131	0.54
Croydon	31,510	91.95	3	0.01	6,741	19.67	97	0.28
Ealing	36,734	121.72	9	0.03	7,641	25.32	56	0.19
Enfield	27,058	96.45	(5)—	(5)—	5,342	19.04	66	0.24
Greenwich	29,829	130.75	3	0.01	7,486	32.81	107	0.47
Hackney	31,160	149.99	11	0.05	7,148	34.41	109	0.52
Hammersmith and Fulham	25,334	140.86	4	0.02	5,054	28.10	62	0.34
Haringey	30,595	136.29	5	0.02	5,651	25.17	76	0.34
Harrow	15,837	74.02	(5)—	(5)—	2,870	13.41	45	0.21
Havering	19,997	88.40	5	0.02	3,639	16.09	38	0.17
Hillingdon	28,144	111.50	7	0.03	5,911	23.42	35	0.14
Hounslow	24,485	115.22	4	0.02	5,502	25.89	78	0.37
Islington	35,248	192.99	6	0.03	6,289	34.43	89	0.49
Kensington and Chelsea	24,328	123.98	(5)—	(5)—	3,597	18.33	49	0.25
Kingston upon Thames	13,105	85.64	(5)—	(5)—	3,003	19.62	28	0.18
Lambeth	38,868	144.42	15	0.06	8,344	31.00	127	0.47
Lewisham	32,150	129.92	4	0.02	8,062	32.58	106	0.43
Merton	16,078	82.56	5	0.03	3,361	17.26	42	0.22
Newham	35,597	144.57	14	0.06	7,578	30.78	96	0.39
Redbridge	24,646	98.00	(5)—	(5)—	4,323	17.19	52	0.21
Richmond upon Thames	13,408	71.98	(5)—	(5)—	2,122	11.39	24	0.13
Southwark	39,713	154.12	10	0.04	8,435	32.74	118	0.46
Sutton	15,408	86.71	(5)—	(5)—	2,989	16.82	33	0.19
Tower Hamlets	32,627	153.05	3	0.01	7,727	36.25	103	0.48
Waltham Forest	28,927	129.10	4	0.02	6,052	27.01	74	0.33
Wandsworth	30,039	106.75	9	0.03	5,647	20.07	81	0.29
Total	916,726	122.09	(5)—	(5)—	181,830	24.22	2,301	0.31
Total London(4)	929,752	123.67	(5)—	(5)—	183,321	24.39	2,312	0.31
Total England	5,093,395	101.00	719	0.01	976,638	19.37	13,135	0.26

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